Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to 10 years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics with the intent of selling them in Ajloun in July of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining several kinds of illicit drugs on July 13 with the intent of selling them in the local market.

The defendant was also convicted of resisting arrest.

The SSC handed the defendant a 15-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD10,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to 10 years while maintaining the amount of the fine “to give the defendant a second chance in life”.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) received a tip-off that the defendant, along with several other defendants who did not appeal their verdicts, were in possession of illegal narcotics.

The AND agents pulled over the defendant’s vehicle, but the passengers resisted arrest, the court papers added.

While some fled the area, the defendant and two other men were arrested, the court papers maintained.

Upon searching the defendant’s car, AND agents found Captagon pills and a large stash of hashish and other illicit drugs, the court papers said.

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