Drug trafficker’s sentence upheld

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a man to three years in jail for possessing and trafficking illicit drugs in Amman in June of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing 2.7kg of hashish with the intent of selling them locally on June 3 in Sahab, located some 30km southeast of Amman, and handed him the maximum punishment.

Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) personnel were informed that the defendant was “a drug dealer and was in possession of hashish”.

“A force monitored the defendant and arrested him while he was walking on the street,” court documents said.

The defendant contested the interrogation procedures and stated: “The SSC relied on the testimony of one witness.”

Nonetheless, the higher court maintained that the SSC followed proper proceedings in the issuance of the sentence against the defendant.

The Court of Cassation bench is comprised of judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Yassin Abdullat, Majid Azab and Nayef Samarat.