KARACHI, Nov 17: An anti-narcotics court on Thursday granted bail to a couple allegedly involved in the Jeddah heroin trafficking case against the surety bond of Rs50,000 each in a narcotics case.

Syed Sarwat Hussain and his wife Shafia have been charged with keeping 120 grams of heroin in their house in Korangi in June 2009.

The judge, Sanaullah Ghory, of the control of narcotic substances court-II granted bail after hearing arguments from both sides.

According to the prosecution, on June 17, 2009 a police party raided the house of the accused to arrest them in the main Jeddah heroin trafficking case, but the couple was not there at the time of the raid. Their son, Afraz Hussain, was arrested and during a search of the house 120 grams of heroin was recovered.

A case (FIR No 235/2009) was registered under Section 9-B of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 at the Awami Colony police station.

Mr Hussain said to be absconding in the case as he went into hiding after having been released on bail.

The accused were also booked in the main case for allegedly giving heroin-filled footwear to pilgrims on their way to perform Umrah who were subsequently detained by Saudi authorities following their arrival at the Jeddah airport.

The case is being tried in a sessions court (east).

The couple was also booked in another case (FIR No.807/09) registered under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Preedy police station on the complaint of a travel agency and they were convicted and awarded six years term by a magistrate in August last year.