Drug trafficker killed in Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Unknown gunmen killed, on Friday night, a person accused of drug trafficking in Daraa, a governorate in Syria’s south.
A local source told North Press that “Ahmad Muhammad Eid al-Akrad” was shot dead by unknown gunmen while he was in the market of Daraa al-Balad.
Al-Akrad is accused of working in drug trafficking in the region, according to the source.
It also noted that “unidentified gunmen carried out the assassination, after which they stole his motorcycle and set off towards Daraa al-Mahatta, where security branches of the government forces are deployed.”
Two weeks ago, unknown individuals distributed leaflets, threatening drug dealers and promoters in the Daraa al-Balad to be held accountable if they did not stop their work.
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in 2018, the governorate has been living in a state of insecurity, with daily assassinations targeting soldiers and officers of the government forces, as well as the spread of thefts.
In July 2018, the opposition armed factions and government forces reached a cease-fire agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas of Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the opposition factions agreed to hand over their weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa. Those who opposed the agreement were sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).
Several international reports, headed by the US Treasury, accuse the Syrian government and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia of running large drug trafficking networks in the border area in Syria’s south, as well as other regions.