Over 130,000 pills, 17kg of hashish seized in anti-drug raids

AMMAN —Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) personnel have seized 133,000 narcotic pills and 17kg of hashish over the past week, while also foiling several drug dealing and smuggling attempts across the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday. 

Citing a statement by the Public Security Department (PSD), Petra said one case involved two Arab nationals who were in possession of drugs which they intended to smuggle abroad.

AND agents confirmed the tip-off and identified a safe house in Mafraq which they raided, arresting two suspects who were in possession of 60,000 narcotic pills.

In another case, an AND team began investigating three people, one with an Arab nationality, whom they suspected of possessing a large amount of narcotics which they planned to smuggle outside the Kingdom. 

Further investigation revealed that the suspects had hidden the drugs in the tyre of a cargo truck, the PSD said, adding that AND officers identified the location of the suspects and the vehicle in the Northern Badia, prior to conducting a raid.

Searching the vehicle, agents found 11kg of hashish and 1,500 narcotic pills. A further investigation is ongoing.

In another case, AND agents identified a location near an uninhabited area close to the northeastern border, where a suspect had hidden 60,000 pills. 

Agents searched the area, found the pills and identified the suspect, who is still being investigated, Petra reported.

The World Anti-Doping Agency released a report last year that said Jordan remains a corridor country — rather than a destination — for drug trafficking.

The government says developments in the region and the dangerous, uncontrolled borders with neighbouring countries, in addition to the influx of refugees into Jordan, led to a 25 per cent increase last year in the Kingdom’s efforts to combat drugs, compared to 2015.