The State Security Court (SSC) sentenced a drug dealer to life imprisonment and a JD 20,000 fine in a precedent-setting case on Tuesday. His accused co-conspirator was sentenced to 10 years and a JD 20,000 fine.

The penalty for drug trafficking in Jordan is up to 20 years in prison but can be increased to life imprisonment under aggravating circumstances. 

The two dealers were arrested in 2021 importing a large amount of cocaine from a neighboring country inside refrigerators via a shipping company. When anti-narcotics forces uncovered the scheme, they searched a shipment of refrigerators and found 4.1 kilograms of cocaine inside.

One of the defendants had a history of drug trafficking. He was previously sentenced to five years in prison and a JD 5,000 fine. Following his repeat offenses, the court increased his sentence to life imprisonment, the first time such a sentence was issued against a drug dealer in Jordan.