Drug Trafficking: Court Hands Popular TV Presenter, 11 Others Death Sentence

An Egyptian court has sentenced popular television presenter, Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death over their alleged involvement in the production and trafficking of narcotics.

It was reported that Khalifa, 39, is a well-known television personality and the presenter of ‘Mission Impossible’, a programme that focuses on security and crime-related issues.

According to the state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper, a Cairo court found Khalifa and the 11 other defendants guilty of forming an organized criminal gang involved in procuring materials used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking.

The defendants were also convicted of possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

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The court reached the death sentence after seeking the religious opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, as required by law in capital punishment cases.

However, the verdict is subject to appeal.

State-run Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper reported that the defendants were accused of producing synthetic drugs for trafficking after allegedly importing the materials needed for their manufacture from outside Egypt.

Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and raw materials during investigations into the case. They also discovered two apartments allegedly being used as drug laboratories, alongside unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Khalifa, who also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company involved in organizing parties and events, was further sentenced to five years in prison with other defendants in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

Egyptian law allows the death penalty for offences including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape cases and drug trafficking. Data from the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms showed that 541 death sentences were handed down in Egypt in 2025.