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Article 37 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law

المادة 37 من نظام مكافحة المخدرات والمؤثرات العقلية

The article sets death as a ta'zir penalty for smuggling narcotics and similar acts, allows the court to reduce this to at least 15 years in prison, and increases the penalty to at least 25 years in specific cases.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

أولا : مع مراعاة ما ورد في البند ( ثانيا ) من هذه المادة يعاقب بالقتل تعزيرا من ثبت شرعا بحقه شيء من الأفعال الآتية :

1 - تهريب مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية .

2 - تلقي مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية من مهرب.

3 - جلب أو استيراد أو تصدير أو صنع أو إنتاج أو تحويل أو استخراج أو زراعة أو تلقي مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية بقصد الترويج في غير الأحوال المرخص بها في هذا النظام.

4 - المشاركة بالاتفاق في ارتكاب أي من الأفعال المنصوص عليها في الفقرات السابقة.

5 - ترويج مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية للمرة الثانية بالبيع أو الإهداء أو التوزيع أو التسليم أو التسلم أو النقل بشرط صدور حكم سابق مثبت لإدانته بالترويج في المرة الأولى.

6 - الترويج للمرة الأولى، على أن يكون قد سبق أن حكم بإدانته بارتكاب أحد الأفعال المنصوص عليها في الفقرات 3،2،1 من هذه المادة.

ثانيا : يجوز للمحكمة -لأسباب تقدرها- النزول عن عقوبة القتل إلى عقوبة السجن التي لا تقل عن خمس عشرة سنة، وبالجلد الذي لا يزيد على خمسين جلدة في كل دفعة، وبالغرامة التي لا تقل عن مائة ألف ريال.

ثالثا : إذا كان الجاني ممن تنطبق عليه الحالات الآتية، ولم يحكم عليه بعقوبة القتل المنصوص عليها في البند (أولا) من هذه المادة، فيعاقب بالسجن لمدة لا تقل عن خمس وعشرين سنة وبالجلد بما لا يزيد عن خمسين جلدة في كل دفعة، وبغرامة لا تقل عن مائة وخمسين ألف ريال. وهذه الحالات هي:

1 - إذا عاد الجاني إلى ارتكاب إحدى هذه الجرائم بعد الحكم عليه لارتكابه إحداها، وكانت العقوبة استنادا إلى نص هذه المادة.

2 - إذا كان الجاني موظفا عاما أو مستخدما أو من المكلفين بتنفيذ أحكام هذا النظام، أو من المنوط بهم مكافحة المواد المخدرة أو المؤثرات العقلية أو الرقابة على تداولها أو حيازتها.

3 - إذا كان الجاني شريكا في عصابة منظمة وكان من أغراضها تهريب المخدرات أو المؤثرات العقلية إلى المملكة أو الاتجار فيها أو تقديمها للتعاطي، أو إذا تلازمت جريمته مع جريمة دولية كتهريب الأسلحة أو تزييف العملة أو الإرهاب.

4 - إذا كان الجاني مسلحا واستخدم سلاحه أثناء تنفيذ جريمته.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 37 explained in plain English

This is the most severe penalty article in the Law, and it is divided into three clauses:

First: acts punishable by death as a ta'zir penalty for anyone against whom any of them is established under Sharia:

  1. Smuggling narcotic or psychotropic substances; smuggling, according to Article One, is everything that counts as smuggling under the Customs Law.
  2. Receiving them from a smuggler.
  3. Importing, bringing in, exporting, making, producing, converting, extracting, cultivating or receiving them with intent to promote, outside the cases licensed.
  4. Participating by agreement in any of the preceding acts.
  5. Promoting for the second time by sale, gift, distribution, delivery, receipt or transport, provided that he has previously been convicted of promotion the first time.
  6. Promoting for the first time if he has previously been convicted of one of the acts in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3.

Second: mitigation: the court may, for reasons it assesses, reduce the penalty from death to imprisonment for a period of not less than 15 years, flogging of no more than 50 lashes at a time, and a fine of not less than SAR 100,000.

Third: aggravation: if the offender is not sentenced to death and falls within the following cases, his penalty is imprisonment for a period of not less than 25 years, flogging of no more than 50 lashes at a time, and a fine of not less than SAR 150,000:

  • Repeating one of these offenses after being sentenced for one of them under this article.
  • Being a public employee, a worker, or a person charged with implementing the Law or among those entrusted with combating these substances or supervising their circulation or possession.
  • Being a partner in an organized gang one of whose purposes is smuggling into the Kingdom, trafficking or supplying narcotics for use, or his offense being connected with an international crime such as arms smuggling, counterfeiting currency or terrorism.
  • Being armed and using his weapon while carrying out his offense.

Article 38 refers to clause (third) of this article to increase the penalty for possession and trafficking with intent to promote. Anyone facing an accusation of this kind undoubtedly needs a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.

Practical example

Customs catch a person at a land border crossing who hid a quantity of narcotic pills in his car while entering the Kingdom. His act counts as smuggling falling under paragraph 1 of clause (first); if it is established against him under Sharia, his penalty is death as a ta'zir penalty, with the court allowed, for reasons it assesses, to reduce it to imprisonment of at least 15 years, flogging and a fine of at least SAR 100,000.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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Frequently asked questions about Article 37 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law

What is the penalty for drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia?

Article 37 provides death as a ta'zir penalty for anyone against whom smuggling narcotic or psychotropic substances is established under Sharia, with the court allowed to reduce it to imprisonment of at least 15 years, flogging and a fine of at least SAR 100,000.

Is promoting for the first time punishable by death?

First-time promotion falls under clause (first) only if the person was previously convicted of smuggling, receiving from a smuggler, or bringing in and the like with intent to promote.

When is the penalty imprisonment of at least 25 years?

If death is not imposed and the offender is a repeat offender, a public employee or one charged with combating these substances, a partner in an organized gang, or armed and used his weapon.

The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.