Jordan, Russia discuss drug smuggling from Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, held talks with Russian President’s Special Envoy on Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, in which they discussed issues related to Syria’s security and stability, and drug smuggling.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement that Safadi and Lavrentiev highlighted, during a meeting held in Amman, the necessity of maintaining security and stability in south Syria and preventing the smuggling of drugs from Syrian territory into Jordan.
He also mentioned that Jordan faces risks from drug trafficking, terrorism and militias.
He stressed the importance of Russia’s role as a guarantor of stability in 2018 de-escalation agreements over Syria, and the need for Jordanian-Russian coordination in addressing the challenges in southern Syria.
Russian President’s Special Envoy expressed his country’s readiness to work with Jordan to confront challenges in Syria’s south, most notably the drug trafficking and instability.
The Jordanian border is witnessing regular smuggling attempts, as Jordan’s forces are working to monitor smuggling operations and thwart them, the last of which was in late December 2022, where they confiscated about 1.392 handful of cannabis (Hashish), coming from Syria.
With the increase of drug trafficking attempts to Jordan through Syria, Amman announced it would change the rules of combating to prevent the flow of drugs.
The Gulf countries, topped by Saudi Arabia, are the main destination for these narcotics materials, according to data issued by the Jordanian authorities.