Drug dealer gets 6-year prison term

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to six years in prison after convicting him of possessing and distributing illegal narcotics in Naour in August of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining various amounts of illegal narcotics in Naour on August 11 with the intent of selling the drugs in the local market and handed him the maximum sentence.

The SSC also ordered him to pay JD4,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer on August 16.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and bought some illegal narcotics for the mount of JD10,” court documents said.

Few days later, AND agents learned that the defendant “was selling illegal narcotics in his neighbourhood and immediately arrested him”, according to court papers.

Agents found a variety of illegal narcotics stashed in his vehicle the court documents added.

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

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.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Khashashneh, Fawzi Nahar and Nayef Samarat.