08 Sep Drones found trafficking drugs into Jordan
A drone shot down flying into Jordanian territory from Syria was found to be laden with crystal meth.
The border guard commented via an official statement: “The border guard forces, in coordination with the narcotics control department and the military security services, monitored an attempt by an unmanned drone to illegally cross the border from Syrian territory to Jordanian territory, and it was shot down inside Jordanian territory.”
This marks the ninth drug-laden drone shooting from Syria this year, according to the border guard.
Trafficking with Drones
Drones are becoming more commonplace in the drug trade, due to their cheap cost and ability to cross borders such as the Jordan-Syria border, which is notoriously porous at 375km (233-miles) long.
War-torn Syria is a breeding ground for drug operations. Many cartels are taking advantage of the political turmoil in the region to grow illegal businesses outside the reach of Syrian officials. According to Western anti-narcotics officials, Syria is home to a multibillion-dollar drugs trade. Jordan acts as the main transit route to the oil-rich Gulf states due to an amphetamine known as Captagon.
President Bashar Al-Assad’s promise to crack down on drug trafficking has paved the way for Syria’s re-entry into the world stage, with the country joining the Arab League in May.