‘Suspected smugglers hide 500,000 narcotic pills on sheep’

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents have thwarted an attempt to smuggle over half-a-million narcotic pills that were hidden on sheep in Mafraq, arresting two suspects, an official said Wednesday.

AND agents had received a tip that a group of people were planning to smuggle an amount of drugs to a neighbouring country by hiding them on sheep designated for export, a senior official source said.

AND agents monitored the group, pulled over their truck that was hauling the sheep in Mafraq, some 80km northeast of Amman, without any major incidents, the senior official told The Jordan Times.

Upon checking the 280 sheep, the official added, agents found “strange pieces glued to the sheep to make it look like it was attached to their wool and was part of their body”.

“This is not the first time smugglers have tried to use sheep or other animals to smuggle drugs and we are always on alert for any new method smugglers might resort to in smuggling illegal narcotics, mainly to Gulf countries,” the official explained.

So far this year, AND agents have foiled several attempts to smuggle drugs hidden inside items that would not look suspicious to authorities.

Suspects resorted to hiding the illegal narcotics in car tyres, biscuit packets, packages of sweets, olives, large marble blocks and children’s beds.

The official added that investigations into this incident could result in more arrests.

 “We have arrested two people but we believe more are involved and we might arrest two or more people as part of our ongoing investigation,” the official said.

The case was referred to the State Security Court prosecutor for further questioning and indictment, according to a Public Security Department statement.