Man jailed for selling crystal meth to undercover police 

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an August State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in December 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining crystal meth, an illegal narcotic, with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent on December 15.

The SSC handed the defendant five years in prison for the offence, and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the fine to JD3,000 and the prison term to three years and four months 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 small stash of illegal drugs in return for JD30,” the court documents said.

When the two met, the AND agent took the illegal drugs in return for the agreed-upon sum, and placed the defendant under surveillance, the court papers added.

The defendant was arrested on January 5, the court maintained.

Upon searching the defendant, court papers said, AND personnel found a small quantity of illegal narcotics 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”.

“The SSC prosecution provided contradictory evidence and did not allow my client to present evidence that would prove his innocence,” the lawyer argued.

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.