Jordan: Army Foils Drug Smuggling Attempt from Syria

Jordanian security forces vehicle (AFP)
Jordanian security forces vehicle (AFP)
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Jordan: Army Foils Drug Smuggling Attempt from Syria

Jordanian security forces vehicle (AFP)
Jordanian security forces vehicle (AFP)

Jordan on Tuesday thwarted an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle large quantities of narcotics from Syrian territory.

An official military source at Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) said that Border Guard patrols, in coordination with security agencies, spotted a group of smugglers trying to illegally cross into Jordan from the Syrian border.

The source said quick response patrols rushed to the site, opening fire at the smugglers. One of them was injured forcing the others to retreat.

After an intensive search of the area, 11 million Captagon pills and 4,049 palm-sized sheets of hashish were seized, in addition to a large amount of ammunition, all of which were handed over to the relevant authorities.

The source stressed that the JAF will continue to deal with any threat to Jordan's borders "firmly", and will foil any attempts intended to undermine and destabilize the Kingdom's security and terrorize its citizens.

Smuggling on the Jordanian-Syrian border is more active during the winter months as smugglers take advantage of the fog and rainy weather to cover their illegal activities despite the presence of fixed and mobile patrols along the 270-km border with Syria.



Jordan, Syria to Form Joint Committee to Secure their Border

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attend a press conference as they meet in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attend a press conference as they meet in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni
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Jordan, Syria to Form Joint Committee to Secure their Border

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attend a press conference as they meet in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attend a press conference as they meet in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni

Jordan and Syria agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border and combat the smuggling of arms and drugs as well as cooperating to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday.

Safadi met in Amman on Tuesday with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, who said during a joint press conference that the latest US move to ease sanctions should be a step towards full lifting of sanctions.

Shibani said existing sanctions were a main hurdle to the recovery of Syria.

The United States on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of president Bashar al-Assad's rule to try to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance.