Man sentenced to 2 years in prison for narcotics possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an October 2022 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing a man to two years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Irbid in July 2022.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics in his vehicle and handed him the maximum sentence.

The SSC also ordered him to pay JD1,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and placed him under surveillance.

“The AND agents arrested the defendant and found a variety of illegal narcotics including Captagon pills and Crystal meth,” court documents said.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “should reduce the prison term since her client does not have a criminal record”.

My client possessed a small quantity of illicit drugs that was for personal use and he had no intention to sell any illicit drugs in the local market,” the lawyer also argued.

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 for personal use,” the higher court said.

Therefore, the higher court maintained that the defendant deserved the punishment he received.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh.