Egypt sentences TV presenter, 11 others to death over drug trafficking

An Egyptian court has handed down death sentences to television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants over a major narcotics case involving the alleged production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.

Khalifa, 39, is a familiar face on Egyptian television and is known for hosting the security and crime-focused programme, Mission Impossible.

State-linked Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Saturday that a Cairo court convicted the defendants of forming an organised criminal group to obtain materials for manufacturing narcotics for commercial distribution.

The charges also included possession and carrying of firearms and ammunition without licences.

The court issued the capital sentences after referring the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, a mandatory step in capital punishment cases under Egyptian law.

The verdict is not yet final and can be challenged on appeal.

Prosecutors accused the defendants of producing synthetic narcotics using materials allegedly imported from outside Egypt.

According to state-run Akhbar Al-Youm, the group was charged with “manufacturing synthetic drugs with the intent to traffic them, by importing the materials used in manufacturing from abroad”.

Authorities reportedly recovered more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and raw materials during the investigation.

Al-Ahram said investigators also discovered two apartments allegedly converted into drug laboratories, alongside unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa, who also owns a plastic surgery clinic and an events and entertainment production company, was further sentenced alongside some of the defendants to five years in prison in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

Egypt retains the death penalty for a number of serious offences, including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offences and drug trafficking.

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said 541 death sentences were handed down by Egyptian courts in 2025.

AFP