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Jordan Detects 160 Drug Smuggling Groups Operating behind its Border with Syria

A drone monitors the Jordanian-Syrian border. (AFP)
A drone monitors the Jordanian-Syrian border. (AFP)
    Amman, London - Mohammed Khair al-Rawashdeh and Asharq Al-Awsat
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Jordan Detects 160 Drug Smuggling Groups Operating behind its Border with Syria

A drone monitors the Jordanian-Syrian border. (AFP)
A drone monitors the Jordanian-Syrian border. (AFP)

Jordan’s army announced that 160 groups of traffickers are operating in southern Syrian, near the border with Jordan. It also confirmed that security channels for communication are up and running with the Syrian regime regarding the matter.

Drug trafficking from Syria into Jordan is becoming “organized” with smugglers stepping up operations and using sophisticated equipment including drones, Jordan’s army said Thursday, warning of a shoot-to-kill policy.

Since the beginning of this year, Jordan’s army has killed 30 smugglers and foiled attempts to smuggle into the kingdom from Syria 16 million Captagon pills -- more than they seized in the whole of 2021 -- the military said.

Speaking to reporters, senior officer, Colonel Mustafa Al-Hiyari, said Jordan is “fighting an undeclared war” and that drug smuggling from Syria has forced stricter rules of engagement.

Hiyari noted that communications with the Syrian side have not been fruitful for a long time, which prompted Jordan to change its engagement policy.

“We got a very positive response from the Syrian government... but on the ground that does not last for long,” he added.

“We have confirmed information that some Syrian checkpoints cooperated with some smugglers in some cases... some checkpoints affiliated with the Syrian army helped smugglers and provided protection,” he revealed.

“But we cannot be certain that this was done on instructions from the Syrian army -- perhaps these are cases of corruption in these checkpoints,” Hiyari said.

On January 27 the army said it killed 27 traffickers in a clash as they tried to enter the kingdom from Syria.

It was the deadliest confrontation yet in the army’s fight against smugglers. Three other alleged traffickers have been killed in separate operations this year.

Hiyari told reporters that large amounts of illegal drugs have been seized since the beginning of the year.

This included 17,348 packs of hashish and more than 16 million Captagon pills -- compared to 15.5 million pills for all of 2021 and 1.4 million pills in 2020.

“Jordan is waging an undeclared war along the border against drug traffickers and those who back them,” Hiyari said.

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Red Sea Marine Traffic Up 60% after Houthis Narrowed Targets

Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Red Sea Marine Traffic Up 60% after Houthis Narrowed Targets

Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Red Sea marine traffic has increased by 60% to 36-37 ships a day since August 2024, but is still short of volumes seen before Yemen's Houthis began attacking ships in the region, according to the commander of the EU's Aspides naval mission.

The number of merchant ships using the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait increased after missile and drone attacks by the Houthis slowed and the US and the extremist group signed a ceasefire deal, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis said in an interview in Madrid.

But shipping traffic, which reached a low of 20-23 ships daily in August last year, is still short of an average of 72-75 ships a day seen before the Houthis began attacks in the Red Sea in November in 2023 in support of Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza, said Gryparis according to Reuters.

The mission, which was established to safeguard navigation in the strategic trade route linking the Mediterranean with the Gulf of Asia through the Suez Canal, was extended in February when it was also tasked with tracking illegal arms shipments and monitoring vessels carrying sanctioned Russian oil.

The last attack on a merchant ship took place in November 2024 and the Houthis have also narrowed their objectives, saying their targets are Israeli ships and ships that have a connection with Israel or have docked at an Israeli port, Gryparis said.

"If you have a vessel that does not correspond to this criteria... there is a huge possibility - more than 99% - that you're not going to be targeted by the Houthis," Gryparis said.

Still, Gryparis said he could not guarantee that merchant ships won't be attacked.

Some companies have been deterred from using the route because of the mission's lack of ships, which can cause delays of as much as a week for those seeking to be escorted through the area, he said.

He said the mission has between two and three ships operating at one time and has requested the EU provide it with 10 ships to increase its capacity for protection.

The mission has provided close protection to 476 ships, shot down 18 drones, destroyed two remote-controlled boats used to attack ships and intercepted four ballistic missiles, he said.