Drug dealer sentenced to 5 years in prison

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to five years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Ramtha in late 2020.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics with the intent of selling the drugs to an undercover agent.

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

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 in mid-November.

“The AND agent got in touch with the defendant and asked him for five Captagon pills and a small stash of hashish in exchange for JD15,” the court documents said.

The AND agent contacted the defendant once more, this time requesting an unspecified quantity of crystal methamphetamine in exchange for JD20.

When the two met, AND agents immediately arrested the suspect, the court papers added.

Upon searching the defendant, AND personnel “found three Captagon pills and a handgun", the court documents said.  

During a search of the defendant’s house, law enforcement officers also found a hunting rifle, the court stated.

"The defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illicit drugs to be sold in the local market," the court documents stated.

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 without being subjected to any form of duress,” the higher court said.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Ibrahim Abu Shamma, Mohammad Shrairi, Majid Azab and Hayel Amr.