Authorities abort attempt to smuggle 200,000 narcotic pills inside car tyre

AMMAN — Authorities on Sunday seized a large quantity of narcotic pills that were destined for a neighbouring country, according to a security source.

Agents at the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) foiled the attempt to smuggle 200,000 narcotic pills found hidden inside a car tyre.

“The tyre was found during regular inspection on the border. It was stuffed with 200,000 drug pills,” a source at the Public Security Department media centre said.

He added that investigations are under way to identify the smugglers and those involved.

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

Last month, AND personnel thwarted an attempt to smuggle drugs that were hidden in a package of sweets planned to be shipped out of the Kingdom. They tracked the package that was supposed to contain toffees but a thorough inspection revealed 30,000 narcotic pills hidden inside.

In May, AND officers aborted two attempts to smuggle half-a-million Captagon pills that were hidden in large marble blocks and children’s beds.

In April, AND agents arrested a suspect in the northern region of the Kingdom for allegedly hiding 37,000 Captagon pills inside olives that he intended to smuggle to a neighbouring country.

The suspect reportedly extracted the seeds of thousands of olives and replaced them with Captagon pills wrapped in small plastic bags, AND said.

Smugglers target rich countries because one Captagon pill there is worth around JD7, while its market value in Jordan does not exceed JD1 per pill, officials have previously told The Jordan Times.

In recent remarks, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said combating drug dealing and use is a top priority for his ministry, pledging to curb the phenomenon using a new approach.