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Jordan witnesses increase in drug smuggling attempts from Syria

The Arab News reported that with the latest figures from the Jordanian Armed Forces revealing a “dramatic” increase in drug smuggling attempts from Syria, experts have warned of the war-torn country becoming a narco-state, posing cross-border threats to nearby Jordan, the region and the rest of the world.
The Jordanian army said in a recent statement it had thwarted 361 infiltration and smuggling attempts from Syria into the kingdom, and seized about 15.5 million pills of narcotics of different types, including Captagon and tramadol, more than 16,000 sheets of hashish weighing 760 kg and almost 2 kilograms of heroin.
Jordan’s Customs Department said on Jan. 12 that working with anti-narcotics teams its personnel foiled an attempt to smuggle 2.7 million Captagon pills in two trucks traveling from Syria at the Jaber-Nasib border crossing.
A military source, who requested anonymity, told Arab News the figures were “dramatically high.”
The person said: “Illicit drug cultivation and manufacture has become a growing industry in Syria."

The Jordanian army said it foiled more than 130 infiltration and smuggling attempts from Syria in 2020 that resulted in the seizure of about 132 million Captagon pills and more than 15,000 sheets of hashish.
Drugs smugglers go to extreme lengths to avoid Jordan’s surveillance of its borders with Syria, which stretch more than 360 km, but several have been shot or killed by border guards in their efforts to cross.
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In October, the Jordanian army said it shot down a drone carrying a large quantity of drugs as it flew over the border.
Another Jordanian security source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that traffickers from Syria used secret routes and tunnels to smuggle their illicit products into the kingdom.
“Having all these routes spotted by the Jordanian army, smugglers resort to other methods, including drones and even animals,” the person said.
According to the Syrian news website Enab Baladi, drug smuggling operations are most active in Syria’s southern regions of Daraa and Al-Suwayda. Most of the smuggling routes are controlled by armed Bedouin tribes that have affiliations inside Jordan, it quoted sources as saying.
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It added that traffickers used sewer pipes and tunnels to smuggle drugs into Jordan.
In November 2018, the Jordanian army said it thwarted a “large terrorist scheme” to infiltrate the kingdom via the Trans-Arabian Pipeline.
Experts say the strong presence of Lebanon’s Shiite militant organization Hezbollah in Syria and the expansion of its drug trafficking operations are the main reasons for the war-torn country becoming a narco-state, and the increase of drug smuggling into Jordan, Arab Gulf states and Europe.
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In remarks to Arab News, Fayez Dweiri, a retired major general and military analyst, said Hezbollah had resorted to the narcotics trade to secure funding after the US sanctions on Iran.
“There is an established illicit drugs industry for Hezbollah in Beirut’s Dahieh Al-Janubiya in the Shiite stronghold of Baalbek. Hezbollah has relocated some of its drug factories to Aleppo and other Syrian government-controlled regions,” he said.
Dweiri said Hezbollah had always used its money laundering and drug trafficking networks to finance its military arsenal and operations, and to fund the social services for its constituents.
He said: “The US sanctions on Iran have hit Hezbollah hard, obliging Tehran’s most funded proxy to look for other sources of revenues."
Asked whether the Syrian government was involved in illicit drug trafficking, Dweiri said: “I don’t have any documents proving that but to let Hezbollah operate such massive illicit activities in the country is alone a big crime.”
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Enab Baladi claimed that drugs were being smuggled from Lebanon to Syria in vehicles backed by the armed forces, meaning they could pass through military checkpoints without being inspected.
According to a report by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Hezbollah has significantly expanded and institutionalized its drug trafficking enterprises, which now generate more money than its other funding streams. The think tank claimed that Hezbollah’s global narcotics industry began in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in the 1970s, using well-established smuggling routes across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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