Drug dealer handed over 3 years in jail

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of attempting to sell illegal narcotics to an undercover agent.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics (hashish and Captagon) with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent in the Ras Al Ain area of Amman on March 23.

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

However, the court reduced the fine to JD3,500 and the prison term to three years and four months to “give the defendant a second chance in life”.

Court documents said that the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and asked him for a quantity of illegal drugs in exchange for JD710,” 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 quantity of illegal narcotics on him. 

“AND agents found 187 Captagon pills and 175 grammes of hashish,” according to the court papers.

Officers also found a cell phone in the defendant’s possession that was used for the calls between the AND agents and the defendant, according to the court documents.

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 defendant also claimed that he was subjected to torture and duress during his arrest, the lawyer argued.

The lawyer also asked the court for clemency since “my client is still young and supports a family”.

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,” the higher court said.

In addition, the higher court maintained that it was “clear to the court that the defence could not provide any evidence to prove that his client was subjected to torture as claimed,” the higher court stated.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohamoud Ebtoush, Nayef Samarat, Qassem Dughmi, Mohammad Khashashneh and Hammad Ghzawi.