The Jordanian army shot down a drone loaded with drugs heading from Syria to a border area in northern Jordan today, Tuesday. The army stated: "The Jordanian armed forces are determined to deal with any threat to the border fronts with strength and firmness, and any attempts aimed at undermining and destabilizing the security of the nation and terrorizing its citizens."
Jordanian authorities attributed the responsibility for drug trafficking across its borders to "Iranian-backed militias," considering that "units of the Syrian army provide protection to these militias." Damascus denied the involvement of "Iran-backed militias" linked to its army and security forces in the smuggling operations, confirming that it is making every effort to limit smuggling and continues to work to control smuggler gangs in the south.
The sharp increase in smuggling attempts has led Jordan since last year to grant the army the authority to use overwhelming force. Officials involved in drug enforcement in Western countries and Washington noted that "war-weary Syria has become the main location in the region for drug trade, estimated to be worth billions of dollars," considering Jordan a major transit point for Gulf countries regarding amphetamines manufactured in Syria, known as Captagon.
