‘Two attempts to smuggle narcotics foiled’

AMMAN — Jordan Customs Department (JCD) personnel on Monday thwarted two attempts to smuggle more than 9 million narcotic pills at Aqaba Port and Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Amman, official sources said.

In the first incident, customs and security agents at QAIA foiled an attempt to smuggle 7,360,000 pills classified as illegal drugs in 92 packages that were destined for a neighbouring country, a senior JCD official said.

In the second incident, the official added, JCD and security staff thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1,604,600 narcotic pills that were in a shipping container.

Its owners had declared on paper that the shipment contained liquid bath soap, according to the JCD official.

“We received tips about both shipments entering the country... and when they arrived we were waiting for them,” the official told The Jordan Times.

The two illegal shipments were not related to each other, according to the official, who added that no arrests have been made so far in both incidents.

“We have referred both cases to the Anti-Narcotics Department for follow-up since these kinds of shipments falls within its jurisdiction,” the official explained.