Sanaa court jails two hashish traffickers for 25 years
The Specialized Criminal Court of First Instance for the Capital Secretariat in Sanaa convicted two men of trafficking cannabis resin and pregabalin pills and sentenced them to 25 years in prison. Prosecutors said the first defendant moved 594 blocks of cannabis resin between 2023 and 2025, and the court confiscated the two pickup trucks used in the trade.
🇾🇪 Sanaa, Amanat al-Asimah · Yemen
Charged
2
Convicted
2
Sentenced
2
Prison
25 years
Agency
المحكمة الجزائية الابتدائية المتخصصة بأمانة العاصمة
The Specialized Criminal Court of First Instance for the Capital Secretariat in
Sanaa convicted two men of trafficking and promoting narcotics and sentenced
them to 25 years in prison.[1]The court convicted Yahya Saleh Mohammed and
Turki Shaye’ Naji of trafficking and promoting cannabis resin and pregabalin
pills.[1]The session was presided over by Judge Abdullah al-Hamzi, with
prosecutor Judge Mujahed al-Shabibi and court clerk Abdulmajeed al-Dhafiri
present.[1]The court delivered the verdict on Sunday, 8 November 2026,
according to a republication of the account the next day.[2]
The court ordered the confiscation of two pickup trucks belonging to the
convicted men, which were used to move and receive the drugs in al-Jawf, Amran
and Saada governorates.[1]The court also ordered the seized drugs destroyed
and placed the two men in rehabilitation and reform programmes.[1]
Prosecutors said the first defendant, with unidentified co-accused, received,
transported and delivered 594 blocks of cannabis resin for trafficking between
2023 and 2025.[1]Prosecutors also said he promoted large quantities of
cannabis resin and amphetamine.[1]The first defendant gave assistance to the
second in transporting two consignments of cannabis resin, and both men jointly
received, transported and delivered three cartons of pregabalin pills.[1]
In a separate case, the same court reviewed the exhibits in the trial of 25
defendants accused of trafficking, promoting and using drugs, including samples
of methamphetamine (shabu) and cannabis resin, pregabalin ampoules and weighing
and consumption equipment.[1]
Photos and video
Photograph published with the report of the Sanaa specialized criminal court session, showing men seated at a table in what the text describes as the hearing room. Photo: 26 SeptemberPhoto details
No weight or street value for the 594 blocks of cannabis resin was published, so the hashish quantity is not recorded in kilograms.
26 September says the verdict was delivered "yesterday", while the Sanaa City republication of the same account says "today, Sunday"; 8 November 2026 is used as the sentence date.
The two convicted men are identified but no ages, plea, defence case or grounds for a possible appeal are reported.
The 25-year term is stated without a start date or details of the rehabilitation and reform programme the men were placed in.
The full 594 blocks of hashish and the three cartons of pregabalin were described in the prosecution's account of the case, but no weights were given for either.
Neither account says where the men were held, whether the sentence is subject to appeal, or whether the prosecution's account was contested.
Saba's own article could not be opened directly; 26 September and the Sanaa City republication carry the same statement.
The 26 September photo shows a room with several men at a table but carries no caption or credit, so it is described only as published with the court-session report.
A separate case against 25 defendants, also heard by the same court, appears in the same report and is a different event, left out here.
The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a sentenced four men to 25 years for possessing and distributing hashish with intent to traffic and for preparing a place for its use. Three others got five years for possessing hashish for use, five got one year for preparing drug-use premises, and one was acquitted.
The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a sentenced Ahmed Abed al-Dhabian to death for buying, possessing, transporting and selling hashish, and ordered his movable and immovable property confiscated. A second defendant received 25 years for drug trafficking, and three others five years each for possessing hashish with intent to use.
The Specialized Criminal Court in Hadramout sentenced six Iranian nationals to death for smuggling nearly three tonnes of hashish and crystal methamphetamine from Iran into Yemeni waters. The court ordered the drugs destroyed and the seized items confiscated, and the justice ministry said the case was part of efforts against transnational organised crime.
The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a sentenced 32 defendants in a hashish-trafficking case: five to death, 12 to 25 years and 15 to five years. The court ordered 994 kg of hashish destroyed and confiscated property; in a separate case that day, one man got five years and two others 25 years for possessing a block of hashish.