The Jordanian army announced in a statement that its forces thwarted a drug smuggling operation from Syrian territory and seized more than six million Captagon pills and 578 blocks of hashish. The statement quoted a military source from the General Command of the Armed Forces stating that "the northern military region thwarted an infiltration and smuggling attempt this morning on one of its fronts involving large quantities of narcotic substances coming from Syrian territories towards Jordan."
The source added: "Engagement rules were applied with the smugglers, resulting in the injury of one of them and their escape towards Syrian territory, while the vehicle loaded with large quantities of narcotic substances was seized." The source explained that the vehicle contained "578 blocks of hashish, six million and 447 thousand Captagon pills, 1,876 capsules of the narcotic type Lyrica, and several devices and equipment used for smuggling purposes," announcing that "the seized items were referred to the competent authorities."
On February 17, the Jordanian army announced that attempts to smuggle drugs across the Syrian-Jordanian border (extending approximately 375 kilometers), which have been thwarted numerous times in recent months, have become "organized," utilizing drones and receiving protection from armed groups. The army stated at that time that Jordanian authorities had thwarted the entry of more than 16 million Captagon pills since the beginning of this year alone, during approximately 45 days, equivalent to the amount seized throughout 2021.
The kingdom emphasizes that 85% of the drugs seized are intended for smuggling outside Jordan, particularly to the south into Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries.
