Man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for drug possession

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

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining several kinds of illicit drugs on November 6 with the intent to sell them in the local market.

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

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

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) received a tip-off that the defendant, along with several other defendants who did not appeal their verdicts, were in possession of illegal narcotics.

The law-enforcement agency sent one of its officers to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent contacted the defendant, and the two agreed to meet in the Shmeisani neighbourhood,” court papers added. 

When the two met, the AND agent handed the defendant JD500 in return for the narcotics, according to the court.

“Once the illegal drugs were handed over to the law-enforcement officials, the defendant was surrounded by AND agents who arrested him,” the court papers added.

The court documents maintained that AND agents found additional illegal narcotics stashed in his vehicle during a search. 

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the prosecution “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 in front of the AND agents and the SSC prosecutor,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Majid Azab.