Drug Trafficking: Popular TV Presenter, 11 Others Sentenced To D**th

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

Khalifa, 39, is a well-known television personality and presenter of “Mission Impossible,” a programme focused on security and crime-related issues.

According to Ireporter Online, a Cairo court found Khalifa and the other defendants guilty of forming an organised criminal group allegedly involved in obtaining materials used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking.

The defendants were also convicted of offences relating to the possession and carrying of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The court issued the death sentences after seeking the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a procedure required under Egyptian law in capital punishment cases. However, the verdict remains subject to appeal.

Reports indicated that the defendants were accused of producing synthetic drugs for distribution after allegedly importing materials required for their manufacture from outside Egypt.

During investigations, authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and raw materials linked to the alleged operation. Investigators also discovered two apartments said to have been used as makeshift laboratories for drug production, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa, who also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company involved in organising parties and events, was separately sentenced to five years in prison alongside other defendants in another case involving the alleged kidnapping and assault of a young man.

Under Egyptian law, the death penalty may be imposed 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.