AND agents foil 'largest drug smuggling attempt in Jordan', arrest three suspects

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents have foiled a "major" drug smuggling attempt, confiscating 13.2 million narcotic pills, the largest recorded amount in the Kingdom's history, the Public Security Department (PSD) said on Wednesday.

AND agents also arrested three suspects who were reportedly involved in the attempt, whereby the narcotics were hidden in a shipment of laundry drying racks, according to a PSD statement.

AND agents had been collecting information for several weeks on the operation after receiving a tip off that an alleged drug dealer in a neighbouring country was seeking to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics into the Kingdom.

Upon his arrival at the airport in Amman, the suspect, an Arab national, was monitored by AND agents to identify his accomplices, the statement said.

The prime suspect was seen meeting frequently with another man who resides in an Amman suburb.

AND agents raided the Amman resident's house, where they found a container with the hidden Captagon pills in the backyard, seizing the narcotics and arresting the suspected accomplice.

Another AND team also arrested the prime suspect, and the two suspects confessed to smuggling the drugs into Jordan with the intention of transporting them to another country, according to the PSD.

The interrogation also revealed the involvement of a third suspect, who was also tracked down and arrested, the PSD said, adding that the investigation is still under way.

Captagon (fenethylline) is a synthetic stimulant similar to amphetamine.

The pills are usually manufactured and transported from neighbouring countries in the north via Jordan to rich countries on the southern borders, according to officials.

Drug smugglers, officials have said, target rich countries “because one Captagon pill there is worth JD7, while its market value in Jordan does not exceed JD1 per pill”.

Although banned in most countries in the 1980s, illegally produced and smuggled Captagon — sometimes containing amphetamine instead of fenethylline — is a common drug abused in the Middle East, according to web sources.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, an AND official said the Syrian conflict, the refugee crisis and unrest 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, suspected drug smugglers have resorted to using sheep, car tyres, biscuit packets, packages of sweets, olives, large marble blocks, door closers, book covers and children’s beds to hide illegal narcotics.

Ninety-five per cent of the illicit drugs smuggled into the Kingdom are destined for neighbouring countries, according to AND.

Since the beginning of the year, AND has dealt with 8,656 illicit drug cases, including 7,504 for possession and dealing and 1,152 for trafficking, according to official figures.

In 2015, AND handled 11,062 illicit drug cases, including 10,080 for possession and dealing and 982 for trafficking.

Some 13,143 people have been arrested on drug charges this year, including 11,710 Jordanians, according to AND figures released late last month.

In 2015, 15,691 people were arrested, including 13,899 Jordanians, for related charges.

Of those arrested on drug charges this year, 704 were university students, including 587 Jordanians, while 879 university students were arrested in 2015, of whom 718 were Jordanians.