Drug dealer jailed for 14 months

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

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics in the Tabarbour neighbourhood on March 11 with the intent of selling the drugs in the local market.

The SSC handed the defendant a three-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD1,500 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to 14 months and ordered him to pay JD1,000 in fines instead of JD1,500.

Court documents said 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 via WhatsApp application and asked him for a stash of illegal drugs in return for JD35,” court documents said.

When the two met, the defendant handed the undercover AND agent the illegal narcotics in return for the cash, court papers added.

The defendant was arrested almost a week after the drug deal incident, 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 sentences 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, Hammad Ghzawi and Nayef Samarat.