Cassation Court upholds 8-year sentence for drug dealer

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September 2023 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing a drug dealer to eight years in prison after convicting him of possessing over 16,000 Captagon pills in Amman in February 2023.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics at his home in Sahab with the intent of selling the drugs in the local market on February 15.

The SSC handed the defendant a punishment of eight years in prison and ordered him to pay JD8,000 in fines. 

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of a large quantity of illegal narcotics and sent one of its agents to pose as a buyer.

“The AND agent met the defendant and received 9,640 Captagon pills,” court documents said.

The defendant was immediately arrested and escorted to his house by police officers for an inspection, the court added.

The law enforcement agency found an additional 7,280 Captagon pills, according to the court papers. 

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that “there were irregularities in the investigations procedures”.

The defence also charged that the court handed the defendant a high sentence “and my client deserves clemency by the court”.

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 possessing the illegal drugs to sell it in the local market,” the higher court said.

Therefore, the higher court maintained that the defendant deserved the punishment he received. 

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