Jordanian arms smuggler sentenced to hard labour

The State Security Court on Sunday sentenced a Saudi Arabian national to seven and a half years of hard labour after he was convicted in a case of illicit import of firearms.
The court's three-judge civilian panel, presided over by judge Salem Gallab with judges Khaled Kawalit and Belal Bakhit as members, convicted the defendant of importing firearms without a license, in violation of article 11/B of the firearms and munitions law.
The defendant had left Saudi Arabia on November 1, 2013, in his car bearing Saudi number plates and tried to cross into Jordan via the border post of Durra. Customs officers who searched the vehicle had found 100 7.65 mm pistols, 99 cartridges and other munitions stashed in a spare tire, it was found.
After examining the weapons, the court said, authorities had found that they were all intact and ready for use and ordered an investigation that led to the defendant being put into custody pending trial.