Man gets 4 months in prison for drug possession

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to four months in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Zarqa in May 2019.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics on May 20 with the intent of selling them and handed him an 18-month prison term.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to four months to give him “a second chance in life”.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned 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 via WhatsApp application and asked him for a stash of illegal drugs in return for JD10,” court documents said.

The AND agents received a tip-off that the defendant was planning to sell drugs in his area and arrested him, according to court papers.

Upon searching the defendant, court papers said, AND personnel found various 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”.

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 presiding were Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Hayel Amr, Fawzi Nahar and Hayel Amr.