'14,000 drug users arrested in 2015'

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) personnel arrested 14,000 drug users from different nationalities last year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted AND Director Brig. Gen. Anwar Tarawneh as saying Saturday. 

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by Shihan municipality in Rabbeh, Tarawneh said spending on narcotics around the world amounted to more than $800 billion last year. 

He said that Jordan remains a corridor country — rather than a destination — for drug smuggling and highlighted the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army's role in foiling smuggling attempts. 

He urged the local community to cooperate with the concerned authorities to combat drug dealing and abusing. 

In a lecture in Irbid last week, Tarawneh said drug abusers only constitute 1 per cent of the population.

Citing UN studies, he said drug abuse in Jordan is not a phenomenon, despite the increase in smuggling attempts due to regional unrest.

Last year, he noted, 1,216 people were treated at AND's rehabilitation centre for drug users, while the department's agents arrested 340 hashish users, 290 narcotic pill users, 162 heroin users, 555 synthetic cannabis users, one cocaine user and 31 alcoholics.

Those arrested were sent to the correctional and rehabilitation centre affiliated with AND, and received treatment for their addiction, according to Tarawneh.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, an AND official said the Syrian conflict, the refugee crisis and turmoil in surrounding countries are to blame for the new illicit drug smuggling methods the Kingdom has been witnessing over the past four years.

In recent incidents, smugglers have resorted to using sheep, car tyres, biscuit packets, packages of sweets, olives, large marble blocks, door closers and children’s beds to hide illegal narcotics.

Several cases have also involved suspects smuggling drugs in their stomachs.