Cassation Court upholds 15- and 8-year sentences in drug trafficking case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July 2023 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing two men to prison terms ranging from eight to 15 prison after convicting them of possessing and trafficking illegal narcotics in Amman in 2022.

The court declared the defendants guilty of possessing and trafficking Captagon pills and Hashish in Amman.

The defendants received 15-year and eight-year prison terms respectively.

They were ordered to pay JD16,000 fines in total.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt that the defendants possessed illegal narcotics to sell in the local market.

They two were placed under surveillance and were arrested at one of the defendants’ homes, the court added.

Upon searching the house, the court maintained, police found 2,600 Captagon pills and over five kilogrammes of hashish, according to court documents.

The defendants contested the SSC’s ruling through their lawyers arguing that there were irregularities with the investigation procedures.

They also claimed that they were subjected to torture and duress to confess.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentences and the fines imposed on the defendants.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendants.

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

The higher court also ruled that the defendants did not provide any proof that they were subjected to any form of torture or duress.

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