Drug dealer handed over 3 years in jail

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman in November of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics (Captagon pills) with the intent to sell the drugs to an undercover agent on November 23.

The SSC handed the defendant a five years for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics, and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to three years and four months to “give the defendant a second chance in life”.

The court also decided to reduce the JD5,000 imposed on the defendant to JD3,500.

Court documents said that the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant was in possession of illegal pills that he was selling for JD1 in  the local market.

The law enforcement agency sent one of its officers to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and asked him for a small stash of illegal drugs in return for JD220,” the court documents said.

When the two met, AND agents immediately arrested the suspect, the court papers added.

Upon searching the defendant, the court papers said, “AND personnel found a small number of illegal pills on him". 

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

The defence also claimed that his “client was coerced during the investigation by law enforcement officers”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentence against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs without being subjected to any form of duress,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi, Nayef Samarat and Yassin Abdullat.