Jordanian Forces neutralize 5 drug smugglers in border clash

Jordanian border guards kill five smugglers and injure four others after stopping gang of drug traffickers from entering country from Syria

Jordanian border guards killed five smugglers and injured four others after decisively stopping a gang of drug traffickers trying to enter the nation from Syria early in the morning. Together with security and drug-control organizations, the Jordanian military apprehended the traffickers as they attempted to carry a sizable amount of drugs over the border.

The intercepted smuggling attempt is part of Jordan’s continued efforts to defend its borders against the illegal drug trade, a concern that has grown in recent years, according to an official statement from the General Command of the Armed Forces. The discovered contraband highlights the difficulties that Jordan and its neighbors have in the fight against drug trafficking, especially with regard to captagon, an amphetamine-like stimulant that is highly sought after throughout the Gulf.

The conflict follows a major regional accord designed to strengthen defenses against these kinds of transnational criminal operations. The day before the conflict, interior ministers from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman and decided to create a “coordinated communication unit.” According to Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya, this program aims to improve cooperation by exchanging resources, training, and information to more effectively track and intercept drug shipments.

Increased border monitoring and the seizure of drones used to transport drugs are two of Jordan’s strategic actions against drug smuggling that have exposed the cunning methods utilized by traffickers. The support these operations get from armed organizations often poses a hurdle to these efforts, making the work of security officers even more dangerous.

The recent operation and the regional agreement represent a determined attempt to address drug smuggling, a problem that has become more prominent in talks about regional security. The first conference devoted to this cause took place in Amman in July, which marked a turning point in Jordan’s diplomatic relations with Syria. Following talks between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, which demonstrated a thawing of ties and a shared determination to resolve the captagon situation, the forum was held.

A turning point in regional diplomacy has been reached with the re-engagement with Assad’s administration after its reinstatement into the Arab League. This indicates that, despite the difficulties left behind by the Syrian civil war, it is imperative to address threats to mutual security head-on. 

Source: AFP