AND arrests 23 suspects, seizes large drug haul in Nationwide Crackdown
AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) on Wednesday announced that police have arrested 23 wanted suspects in connection with 13 illicit drug cases in various parts of the Kingdom in the past few days, according to police.
Law enforcement officers also seized large amounts of illicit drugs and weapons with some of the suspects, according to Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi.
One of the major cases, according to Sartawi involved aborting the smuggling of 1.2 million illegal pills in furniture pieces in cooperation with Egyptian law-enforcement agencies, Sartawi told The Jordan Times.
'The Egyptian and Jordanian agencies exchanged information regarding the possible smuggling of a large quantity of illicit drugs via a goods transport truck that was entering Aqaba Port as transit,' Sartawi said.
The minute the truck entered the Kingdom, the police official added, the vehicle was seized and searched.
'Investigators found illegal pills hidden in pieces of wood and furniture,' according to Sartawi.
He added that investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators involved in the smuggling operation in both Jordan and Egypt.
In another high-profile case involving international gangs, two people were arrested in Northern Badia for storing eight kilogrammes in a barrel underground, Sartawi said.
'We received information that the two men had ties with smugglers who resided outside the Kingdom,' the police official said.
Also in Northern Badia, Sartawi said that two people were arrested after AND agents received a tip that they possessed illegal narcotics.
Police found 28,4000 illegal pills in their possession, he said.
Meanwhile, two suspects were arrested in Amman following a raid that resulted in seizing a large amount of Hashish, according to Sartawi.
All suspects were referred to the State Security Court prosecution office for further questioning and indictment, according to a statement by the Public Security Directorate.
Last year, AND officials said around 23,000 drug-related cases were recorded in Jordan in 2023, involving more than 35,000 individuals, with about 13,000 suspects apprehended for alleged drug trafficking or distribution.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Roya News
4 hours ago
- Roya News
Swedish court hears brother's testimony in trial over Jordanian pilot's execution
In a landmark trial described as the first of its kind in a case that sparked global outrage, a Swedish court has heard a moving testimony from the brother of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, who was brutally burned alive by Daesh in Syria in 2015. The trial concerns Osama Krayem, a Swedish citizen of Iraqi origin, charged with involvement in the crime, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Joudat al-Kasasbeh, a lawyer and the brother of the late pilot, told the Stockholm court about the ongoing psychological and physical suffering his family has endured for over a decade. He revealed that their mother was hospitalized immediately upon learning of Muath's execution, his older sister developed diabetes, and his father suffers from chronic illnesses and a deeply mournful mental state, frequently breaking down in tears. Joudat recounted receiving news of his brother's capture in late 2014 and rushing to the Jordanian Air Force headquarters. There, the commander informed him that the pilot was believed to be held captive inside Syria. 'I was in a very bad state mentally,' he said. During Wednesday's session, the accused, Osama Krayem, remained silent and refused to answer questions from the prosecution, avoiding eye contact with prosecutor Henrik Olin. However, in a previous interrogation in February, Krayem claimed he did not know what would happen at the execution site and insisted he stayed no longer than 20 minutes before noticing cameras. 'I was terrified. That was the first time I saw someone being burned,' he said. Muath al-Kasasbeh's plane was shot down on December 24, 2014, near Raqqa, then the Daesh stronghold in Syria. Approximately six weeks later, Daesh released a horrifying video showing the pilot inside a metal cage, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, before being set on fire. The trial, which began on June 4, marks the first judicial action against a suspect linked to this crime, which had a profound impact in Jordan, especially since al-Kasasbeh was part of an international coalition led by the United States fighting the terrorist group.
Jordan News
8 hours ago
- Jordan News
Large-Scale Drug Smuggling Attempt from Syria to Jordan Foiled - Jordan News
Early Wednesday morning, the Eastern Military Region thwarted an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle large quantities of narcotics from Syrian territory into Jordanian land, within its area of responsibility. اضافة اعلان A military source from the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army stated: "Border Guard forces in the Eastern Military Region, in coordination with military security agencies and the Anti-Narcotics Department, successfully foiled an attempt to infiltrate and smuggle a significant amount of narcotics." The source explained that a group of smugglers was detected trying to illegally cross the border. Quick reaction patrols were immediately dispatched and engaged according to the rules of engagement, forcing the smugglers to retreat deep into Syrian territory. A thorough search and inspection operation led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, which were then handed over to the relevant authorities. The source affirmed that the Jordanian Armed Forces remain fully committed to firmly and decisively preventing all forms of infiltration and smuggling, and to countering any attempt to compromise the security and stability of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Roya News
Mass prison break in Lebanon as 19 detainees escape Ghazir police station
Around midnight Saturday into Sunday, 19 detainees escaped from the Ghazir police station detention center in Lebanon's Kesrouan-Jbeil district, according to a source in the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The group, consisting of 13 Syrians, five Lebanese, and one Egyptian national, reportedly broke through a wall in the holding cell to make their escape. The breakout went unnoticed for approximately an hour and a half, giving the fugitives enough time to flee the area and evade immediate capture. By early Sunday morning, ISF personnel managed to apprehend one of the Lebanese escapees in the Jbeil area. An internal investigation has been launched to determine whether negligence or collusion played a role in the incident. Meanwhile, search operations are ongoing, and security forces remain on high alert in an effort to locate the remaining fugitives. The Lebanese Army has not issued any comment at the time of publication. Lebanon has witnessed a series of prison breaks in recent years, coinciding with a deepening economic crisis. In May, an armed group ambushed a police patrol in Akkar and freed a detainee en route to court. In 2022, 19 inmates escaped from a Jounieh prison, and around 30 others broke out from Beirut's Adlieh detention center after smuggling in a tool and escaping through a window.
