Man handed 4-year prison term for drug possession

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

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining several kilos of illicit drugs and counterfeit currency on February 7 with the intent of selling the drugs in the local market.

The SSC handed the defendant a four-year prison term for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learned the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics at his home.

“The AND agents raided his home and seized various quantities of illicit drugs as well local and foreign counterfeit bank notes stashed in a suitcase,” the court documents 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 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, Fawzi Nahar, Majid Azab, Ibrahim Abu Shamma and Hayel Amr.