Hidden amidst the fog and darkness, groups of smugglers brave the Jordanian desert. The drug they’re smuggling is captagon. A popular amphetamine in the middle east, used by partygoers and previously by militants. The final destination is usually Saudi Arabia which has the largest consumer market in the Middle East.
The drug is produced mainly in Syria, where there is mounting evidence of regime involvement in the production of the drugs. It had prior been trafficked from Syria into Lebanon before reaching Saudi Arabia. However, due to the sheer volume of captagon coming from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia banned all exports from Lebanon. This has led to traffickers using two new transit states; Jordan and Iraq.
Both bordering Syria, the two countries have faced a huge increase in the amount of smugglers crossing their borders. This can be seen in the increase in busts in both countries.
Here are a few of the more recent ones:
9.3 million pills were seized in Jordan after clashes with smugglers. Weapons and ammunition were also seized. 11.02.2022.
Over 1 million pills were seized in Jordan after clashes with smugglers. 20 smugglers were arrested. 27.03.2022
23,000 pills were seized in Iraq. They were hidden inside a sheep’s body. 02.04.2022
1.8 million pills were seized in Western Iraq. 05.04.2022
The increase in smugglers moving from Syria into Jordan led to Jordanian authorities taking a new approach. In January earlier this year, the military announced it would strike down smugglers with an “iron fist” and has adopted a shoot on sight engagement rule with smugglers. A week later 27 smugglers were killed in clashes with border forces.
Jordan and Iraq demonstrate the malleability of the drug trade as smugglers quickly changed routes after smuggling through Lebanon became unfeasible. Now Jordan and Iraq’s border forces face constant attempts at smuggling. The rise in smugglers being armed and engaging with the border forces is another scary development. One Jordan border force soldier was killed in clashes with the government in January this year.
