A military source in the Jordanian Armed Forces stated that the Eastern Military Region, in coordination with military security agencies and the Anti-Narcotics Department, thwarted an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle large quantities of drugs from Syrian territory early Sunday morning within its area of responsibility.
According to Jordan’s “Al-Mamlaka” TV, the operation resulted in the death of 5 smugglers and the injury of 4 others, with large quantities of drugs being seized. The confiscated items have been handed over to the competent authorities. The source affirmed that “the armed forces are committed to using all available capabilities and resources to strike with an iron fist anyone who dares to tamper with Jordanian national security.”
The issue of drug smuggling across borders continues to significantly disturb the region’s countries, posing an imminent threat to their societies. In Jordan’s capital, Amman, a meeting was held on Saturday at the level of the interior ministers of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan to discuss the drug menace and its countermeasures. The ministers agreed to establish a “joint communication cell to combat drug smuggling across the borders of the four countries.”
Jordan’s Interior Minister, Mazen Al-Faraya, told reporters after the meeting, “Our societies are suffering from the drug problem, so we agreed that without a joint coordination effort from our assembled countries, the desired outcomes would not be achieved.” He added, “The most important agreement today was to establish a joint communication cell with liaison officers from our various countries, focusing on exchanging expertise, training, capabilities, and, primarily, following up on information, both past and future, and tracking shipments from the countries to their final destination.”
Since Russia’s withdrawal from southern Syria, Jordan has struggled with drug smuggling by individuals and militias across the Syrian-Jordanian border. The Jordanian military has decided to change the rules of engagement, shifting from a defensive to an offensive stance against anyone attempting to approach the border. Jordan regularly announces the thwarting of drug, weapon, and ammunition smuggling attempts from Syria, employing various methods from individual “carriers” to drones. Recently, Jordan announced the arrest of 12 smugglers and the killing of 5 others in a border guard operation that lasted more than 12 hours.
