Repeat offender jailed for selling hashish to undercover officer

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) sentenced a repeat drug-related offender to five years in prison for selling hashish to an undercover law-enforcement officer in exchange for JD5 in March 2021.

The SSC’s ruling, which was recently upheld by the Court of Cassation, declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics (hashish) with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent on March 21.

The SSC sentenced the defendant to five years in prison and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant, who has 23 previous convictions in drug-related cases, 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 and asked him for a small stash of illegal drugs in return for JD5,” the court documents said.

When the two met, AND agents immediately arrested the suspect, the court papers added.

Upon searching the defendant, the court papers said, AND personnel found a small quantity of hashish on him. 

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

The defence also charged that his client was unable to “present witnesses to testify on his behalf”.

“The SSC prosecution relied on weak and contradictory evidence to implicate my client,” the lawyers charged.

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 sentencing the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs,” the higher court said.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh.