Cassation Court upholds 10 year sentence for drug dealer

AMMAN — Court of Cassation has upheld an April 2022 State Security Court (SSC) ruling that sentences a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of transporting illegal narcotics from Syria to Jordan in August 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing and transporting illegal narcotics from Syria to Jordan on August 14.

The SSC handed the defendant a 15-year prison term for the charges and ordered him to pay JD10,000 in fines. However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to 10 years in prison while maintaining the fine “to give the defendant a second chance in life.”

Court documents said the defendant and a second man, who did not appeal his 15-year verdict, decided to earn quick cash by smuggling drugs from Syria to Jordan. “The defendants were offered USD10,000 to carry two large bags filled with illegal narcotics,” court papers said.

On August 14, the two defendants along with three other men proceeded to smuggle the narcotics by infiltrating the Syrian-Jordanian border. “The group was intercepted by the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) who were guarding the borders,” court papers added.

JAF personnel arrested the two defendants following “a brief fire exchange with the group while the three other men retreated to the Syrian borders,” the court transcripts stated, adding that the personnel seized 108,800 Captagon pills and 5.8 kilogrammes of Hashish.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that his client should get a reduction in penalty “because he only transported the illegal narcotics and did not have any other intention, so he deserves a reduced sentence.”

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 transporting the illegal drugs.”

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Majid Azab, Mohammad Shreiri, Fawzi Nahar and Hayel Amr.