Army thwarts drug smuggling attempt

AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) on Wednesday thwarted two alleged large-scale drug smuggling operations in the Kingdom and arrested eight suspects who were reportedly connected to regional gangs, official sources said.

The suspects were attempting to smuggle 9.5 million illegal pills and 143 kilogrammes of Hashish to a neighbouring country, Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“Our officers worked for two continuous months to monitor the suspects’ movements after receiving a tip that they planned to manufacture and smuggle a large quantity of drugs in two separate operations,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

The law-enforcement agency concluded from their “thorough investigations and monitoring that the eight suspects had close ties to regional gangs,” Sartawi added.

“We received information that the suspects planned to smuggle the illegal narcotics in heavy machinery through Omari Border Crossing,” he explained.

Sartawi stated that investigators concluded that the suspects planned to use a “road roller and jackhammer to smuggle the illegal narcotics in the vehicles’ bodies”.

The two vehicles were intercepted at the border crossings by law enforcement officers, according to the police official.

“AND officers found over 3 million pills hidden in the jackhammer’s body, while the road roller hailed five million pills that were hidden carefully by the suspects,” he added.

The investigations led investigators to two suspects who reportedly “hid 2.5 million illegal pills and 143 kilogrammes of Hashish in a well in a house in Ramtha,” Sartawi said.

“Investigations are ongoing in the case and more suspects could be brought to justice, including contacting countries where the regional gang members are residing,” Sartawi stated.

The Public Security Directorate (PSD) stressed in a press statement that Jordan and its military and security agencies will continue to defend the Kingdom’s security and borders.

“The Kingdom will stand against evil and criminal gangs and regional drug smuggling networks who are trying to take advantage of the security situation by targeting Jordan and neighbouring countries,” the PSD statement said.

These groups are aiming to flood the region with illegal drugs for financial gains and harming the security and stabilities of the communities, the PSD statement added.