Man handed 2-year prison sentence after selling drugs to undercover AND agent

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to two years in prison after convicting him of selling illegal narcotics to an undercover agent in Amman in August 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing hashish and Captagon pills with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent in Tabarbour neighbourhood on August 7.

The SSC first handed the defendant a three-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD3,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to two years and the fine to JD2,000 to give the defendant “a second chance in life”.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned that the defendant 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 stash of illegal drugs and 193 Captagon pills in return for JD1,005,” 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 and Captagon pills 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”.

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 sentence against the defendant.

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

The court also relied on the testimony of AND agents who were “given the illegal stash during the sting operation,” the court documents added.

The Court of Cassation judges presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Fawzi Nahar, Majid Azab, Ibrahim Abu Shamma and Hayel Amr.