Dawn raids net 24 suspected drug dealers, addicts in Sahab

AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) on Thursday announced the arrest of 24 suspected drug dealers and addicts in Sahab earlier in the day. 

AND agents arrested the suspects during consecutive raids on seven houses in Sahab, some 22km southeast of Amman, a senior AND official said.
“No one was injured in any of the raids that were conducted at dawn by our teams,” the official told The Jordan Times on condition of anonymity.
He said the raids were continuation of a similar operation in Sahab earlier this month.

Thirteen suspects were arrested in the mid-November raids, which targeted nine houses and resulted in the confiscation of guns, automatic rifles, money earned from illicit drug transactions and various illegal narcotics.

“Thursday's raid in Sahab is the last one because we believe that we have arrested all the targeted suspects,” the AND official said. 

AND agents seized several illicit drugs and three weapons, according to a statement released by the Public Security Department (PSD).

The suspects were referred to the State Security Court prosecutor for further questioning and indictment, according to the PSD.

Meanwhile, the AND official said no arrests were made in connection with a shooting incident on Sahab Mayor Abbas Maharmeh's house on Sunday.

Maharmeh said unknown gunmen shot at his house and vehicles in retaliation for the anti-drug campaign taking place in Sahab.

The mayor noted that he “received a threat earlier in the month by individuals following a drug raid by AND”.

The AND official said Maharmeh did not file any complaint against anyone, adding that “all our investigations indicated that the 24 suspects arrested on Thursday had nothing to do with the shooting incident at his house and vehicles.”