Drug dealer jailed for 3 years

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

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining a block of hashish at his home on September 27 with the intent of selling the drugs in the local market and handed him the maximum punishment.

The court also ordered the defendant to pay JD3,000 in fines.

Court documents said that the defendant was arrested in an eastern Amman neighbourhood following a routine check-up.

“The Anti-Narcotics Department [AND] agents searched the defendant’s home and found the illegal narcotics,” according to court papers.

In addition, the defendant received a call while AND agents were at his house from an individual who asked him for an undisclosed amount of heroin, the court added.

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 sentences 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 were Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Hayel Amr, Ibrahim Abu Shamma and Fawzi Nahar.