The 37-year-old hid the substance in shampoo bottles in his and his girlfriend's suitcases and was caught at Ben Gurion Airport. He was sentenced to a relatively light sentence in a plea deal that reduced the amount of the drug smuggled

The Lod District Court recently sentenced a 37-year-old British citizen to 30 months of actual imprisonment after he was convicted as part of a plea deal of importing 4.2 kg of ketamine into Israel. He admitted hiding the substance in shampoo bottles inside his and his girlfriend's suitcases. Judge Merav Greenberg also sentenced him to 10 months of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 shekels.

In October last year the defendant and his girlfriend, both British residents, flew from London to Israel. It was claimed that before the trip she came to his house where she agreed to his request to place bags containing shampoo bottles in her suitcase, which in fact held the drug. This involved seven bottles placed in both suitcases before their departure to Luton Airport.

Upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport the pair were detained at border control, and a search of their belongings uncovered the drug bottles. The man was indicted and at a certain stage the indictment against him was amended at his lawyer's request from importing 5.6 kg of the substance to only 4.2 kg. The defendant pleaded guilty to the amended indictment and was convicted as part of a plea deal of importing a dangerous drug, an offense carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

At the sentencing stage the parties asked the court to honor the plea deal, under which they agreed to seek a far lighter penalty of up to two and a half years of actual imprisonment, minus days already served in custody. The state, represented by attorney Yael Terem, acknowledged that the amendment of the indictment and the lenient sentence resulted from evidentiary difficulties highlighted by defense counsel, attorney Shachar Ladovsky.

It was noted that the defendant admitted his actions both to police and in court, thereby accepting responsibility and saving valuable judicial time. The defense stressed that he is a foreign national unable to join treatment groups, receives no visits, and lacks financial resources. On this basis the defense attorney requested permission for video calls with his family abroad. In his direct statement to the court before sentencing the defendant said he "apologizes for becoming entangled in the situation and for the trouble he caused."

Ultimately Judge Greenberg adopted the lenient plea deal, concluding that it properly balances the defendant's status as a foreign detainee, with all the implications that entails, against the gravity of his actions.

She imposed the sentence agreed in the plea deal: 30 months of actual imprisonment, to be counted from the date of his arrest upon arrival in the country in October 2025. She also ordered a 10-month suspended sentence and a fine of 15,000 shekels, or two months in prison in lieu.