https://arab.news/mznaa
- The operation was the result of months of field coordination and intelligence sharing
- It is the first joint Jordanian and Syrian crackdown on drugs since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024
LONDON: Jordanian and Syrian anti-narcotics authorities have cracked down on drug networks in a cross-border coordination effort, foiling several smuggling attempts and seizing large quantities of toxic substances.
The Anti-Narcotics Departments of Jordan and Syria announced in a joint statement on Sunday that their forces have foiled seven smuggling attempts along the Jordanian-Syrian border and seized nearly one million narcotic pills that were intended for illegal distribution across the Middle East.
It is the first major operation between the two countries’ anti-narcotics authorities since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, which has been accused of profiting from the production and trafficking of drugs, specifically the Captagon pill.
Jordanian and Syrian authorities said that the joint operation was the result of months of field coordination and intelligence sharing, which led to the dismantling of organized criminal networks that posed a direct threat to the security of both countries.
Authorities arrested multiple individuals involved in criminal activities in both Jordan and Syria, disrupting their plans to manufacture, smuggle, and distribute illegal drugs, according to the Petra news agency.
The anti-narcotics departments of Jordan and Syria reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing security and intelligence cooperation to combat drug trafficking and smuggling across the region.
They reaffirmed their determination to protect society from the dangers of narcotics and their destabilizing effects on regional security, the Petra added.
The operation follows a Jordanian-Syrian agreement in January to establish a joint security committee aimed at securing their border, combating arms and drug smuggling, and preventing the resurgence of the terror group Daesh.