Amman has strengthened its crackdown on drug trafficking from neighboring Syria which has turned into a regional narcotic hub following over a decade of civil war.
“The Eastern military district, in coordination with the military security services and the anti-narcotics administration, thwarted, at dawn on Sunday… an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle large quantities of narcotic substances coming from Syrian territory,” a statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces read.
The statement added that five traffickers were killed, four others were injured, while a “large quantity” of drugs were seized.
The operation comes a day after the interior ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon announced they would establish a “joint communications cell” aimed at combating drug trafficking in the region, particularly that of captagon, amphetamine-type stimulant.
Jordan has become a transit point for captagon being smuggled out of Syria, the main supplier, and Saudi Arabia the main consumer.
Numerous meetings have taken place between Jordanian and Syrian officials in an attempt to curb the illicit drug trade, but Amman remains dissatisfied with the outcome of these talks. The highest-level meeting took place in July between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Amman is also suspected to have launched several airstrikes targeting the residences of suspected drug dealers. Numerous drones carrying drugs from Syria into Jordanian territory has also being downed by Jordan’s armed forces.
