A well-known Egyptian TV presenter and businesswoman has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of participating in a major drug trafficking operation. Sarah Khalifa, 39, known for her role on the crime show “Mission Impossible,” was among 13 defendants receiving the death penalty in a Cairo court.
Khalifa, who commands a significant social media following of over 2 million, publicly expressed distress and denied the accusations in court. "Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money," she reportedly pleaded. She also told investigators that she had "never smoked a cigarette in my life."
The conviction stemmed from charges of operating an organized gang that imported raw materials for drug synthesis. According to Egyptian state media, the group stored their products in residential homes. Authorities also recovered unlicensed firearms and ammunition during the investigation.
Khalifa, who also owned a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event planning company, was arrested in April 2025 in an upscale Cairo district. The case involved 28 individuals, with over 1,600 pounds of narcotics seized. In addition to Khalifa and the 12 others sentenced to death, nine defendants received life imprisonment, and seven were acquitted.
The court's verdict required consultation with Egypt's grand mufti, who provided a religious opinion mandated by law in capital cases. The sentence can be appealed under recent judicial reforms.