‘226 suspected drug dealers arrested’

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents arrested 226 suspected drug dealers in the second half of February, according to a Public Security Department (PSD) statement released on Tuesday.

In 129 cases over the past two weeks, AND personnel confiscated 39kg of hashish, 21kg of synthetic cannabis (locally known as “joker”), 11,000 narcotic pills, 1kg of heroin and eight weapons, the PSD statement said. 

In one of these cases, AND agents raided a house in the Northern Badia on Monday, arresting three suspects.

Upon searching the house, they found 10kg of hashish and 2,000 narcotic pills, according to the PSD. In a raid conducted on Sunday in the Southern Badia, two suspects were arrested for selling narcotics. They were found in possession of 15 palm-sized sheets of hashish and a firearm. 

In Maan, some 220km south of Amman, two suspects were arrested. AND agents found 1kg of heroin, two firearms and an automatic weapon in their possession.

In Mafraq, around 80km northeast of Amman, four suspects were arrested. AND personnel seized 4,000 narcotic pills, 2kg of hashish and two firearms in the arrest, the PSD said.

Earlier this week, AND Director Brig. Gen. Anwar Tarawneh said the department’s personnel arrested 14,000 drug users from different nationalities last year.

In previous remarks, he said that 1,216 people were treated at AND’s rehabilitation centre for drug users last year.