Cassation Court upholds 6-year sentence for two drug dealers

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September 2023 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing two drug dealers to six years each in prison after convicting them of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman in March 2023.

The court declared the defendants guilty of possessing illegal narcotics in the Shafa Badran area with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent on March 18.

The SSC punished the defendants with six years in prison and ordered them each to pay JD5,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendants were in possession of a large quantity of illegal narcotics that they planned to sell in the local market.

The law-enforcement agency had one of its officers contact the defendant asking for “three kilogrammes of Hashish AND 2,000 Captagon pills in return for JD5,000,” court documents said.

When the two defendants met with the undercover police officer they were immediately arrested, according to the court papers. 

Police found 2,000 Captagon pills and over three kilogrammes of Hashish in their possession, the court maintained.

The defendants contested the SSC’s ruling through their lawyers claiming that “they were subjected to duress while being questioned”.

The lawyers also claimed that the prosecution failed to provide any solid evidence that would implicate their clients in illicit drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentences and 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 the illegal drugs to sell it in the local market,” the higher court said.

Therefore, the higher court maintained that the defendants deserved the punishment they received.

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