AND personnel foil attempt to smuggle 1.5 million illicit pills

AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department's (AND) personnel have foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.5 million illicit pills and two kilogrammes of crystal meth through the Jabir border crossing on the borders with Syria into a neighbouring country.

The Public Security Directorate’s (PSD) spokesperson said that in AND personnel handled 12 cases across the Kingdom recently, leading to the arrest of 23 individuals reportedly involved in drug trafficking activities.

One of the most prominent incidents involved the interception of an attempt to smuggle 1.5 million narcotic pills hidden in secret compartments of a cargo vehicle. A specialised investigative team from the department followed up on the information and identified and arrested six individuals linked to the case, according to the statement.

At the Jabir border crossing, authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 2 kilogrammes of crystal meth, and another smuggling attempt involving 70,000 narcotic pills was also thwarted, leading to the arrest of the perpetrator and the seizure of the illegal substance.

In Ajloun, a major security operation in the Anjara region resulted in the arrest of six individuals, including one considered highly dangerous, and the seizure of various quantities of narcotics, PSD said.

Within Amman, four cases were handled, leading to the arrest of high-risk individuals, including a trafficker in the Jabal Al Taj region, and the seizure of firearms and narcotics.

In Mafraq, authorities arrested a drug trafficker following a raid on his residence, during which a significant amount of narcotic pills, crystal meth, hashish and firearms were seized.

In Aqaba, a raid on a warehouse led to the arrest of a person involved in the storage of narcotics. Meanwhile, in Maan Governorate, a drug dealer  was arrested with 8 palm-sized hashish sheets.

All cases were referred to the prosecutor of the State Security Court for further prosecution, according to the statement.