Egyptian TV host who presented crime show sentenced to death in drug case

• Sarah Khalifa, known for hosting Mission Impossible, was sentenced to death by a Cairo court.

• She and 11 others were convicted in a major synthetic drug case involving more than 750kg of narcotics.

• Khalifa denied the allegations, and the death sentence can still be appealed. 

An Egyptian television presenter known for hosting a crime-focused programme has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted in a major drug trafficking case.

The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Sarah Khalifa, 39, alongside 11 other defendants, on Saturday, September 5, 2026.

Khalifa is best known for presenting Mission Impossible, a programme that focused on security and crime-related issues on Egypt’s Al-Mehwar TV channel.

According to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper, the court convicted the defendants of forming an organised criminal group to obtain materials used to manufacture synthetic narcotics for trafficking.

They were also convicted of possessing and carrying firearms and ammunition without licences. 

The case involved 28 defendants. Nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. Two defendants who remain at large have reportedly been placed on travel bans and watch lists. 

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Investigators said the group imported raw materials from abroad before using them to manufacture synthetic drugs for distribution. Prosecutors alleged that members had different roles, including importing the materials, manufacturing the drugs and distributing them.

Authorities reportedly seized more than 750kg of synthetic narcotics and raw materials during the investigation. Two apartments were also allegedly being used to store materials and manufacture the drugs, while firearms and ammunition were recovered. 

Prosecutors relied on statements from 20 witnesses as well as technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs and videos that they said documented the group’s activities. 

Khalifa, who also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events production company and has more than two million Instagram followers, denied involvement in the alleged criminal operation.

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During the proceedings, she reportedly told investigators that she had never smoked a cigarette and denied knowing anything about the drugs.

It was also reported that she broke down in court and appealed for mercy, insisting that her parents had raised her well and that she had no need for drug money.

Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 after security services had reportedly monitored the group for about 40 days.

The prosecution said the investigation found that the defendants had formed a network involved in importing, manufacturing, packaging and distributing synthetic narcotics.

In a separate case decided the same day, Khalifa was sentenced to three years in prison over the detention, assault and filming of a young man at her home, according to Egyptian court reports. 

The case reportedly emerged after investigators examining her phone during the drug investigation found videos of the alleged incident. 

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Before issuing the death sentences, the court referred the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for an opinion, a required procedure in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory and is not binding on the court. 

The death sentences are also not final. Khalifa and the other convicted defendants have the right to appeal to Egypt’s Court of Cassation.

Egypt is among the countries that retain the death penalty for serious offences, including drug trafficking, terrorism and premeditated murder. 

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