43-kg drug haul: Saudi Arabia executes Malayali man

THALASSERY: Saudi Arabia has executed a Malayali man convicted in a drug trafficking case, with the sentence carried out at a prison in Dammam on Sunday. Abootty Vellili, 41, a native of Peringadi in Mahe near Thalassery, was executed after being convicted of smuggling narcotics into the country, the Saudi Interior Ministry said.

The case dates back to 2023, when 43 kg of narcotic substances was seized from a vehicle while Abbootty was travelling to Saudi Arabia by road from Oman. The trial court sentenced him to death based on the evidence presented by the prosecution. The verdict was later upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, after which a royal order was issued for the execution to be carried out.

During the trial, Abbootty maintained that another person had handed him the goods after making him believe they were merely a parcel and that he was unaware that it contained drugs. His challenges to the verdict at higher levels were subsequently rejected. The execution was carried out at the Dammam prison premises on Sunday, according to the Saudi Interior Ministry.