Attempt to smuggle drugs in pipes foiled

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents have foiled an attempt to smuggle some 150,000 narcotic pills out of the country, the Public Security Department (PSD) said Wednesday.

The agents had received a tip that individuals were preparing to smuggle “a large amount” of drugs out of Jordan by hiding them in water pipes to be transported from Amman in a truck, according to a PSD statement.

Investigations led to identifying the “prime suspect” and his whereabouts, with one AND team stopping and searching the truck and another raiding his house and arresting him.

Agents found the 150,000 pills hidden in an “elaborate manner” in the pipes, the statement said.

Investigations led to two other suspects and a search for them is under way.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, an AND official said the Syrian conflict, the refugee crisis and turmoil in surrounding countries are to blame for the new illicit drug smuggling methods the Kingdom has been witnessing over the past four years.

In recent incidents, smugglers resorted to using sheep, car tyres, biscuit packets, packages of sweets, olives, large marble blocks and children’s beds to hide illegal narcotics.

The AND official said the department is constantly following up on the latest methods of smuggling and takes “all leads and tips very seriously”.

Speaking at a lecture in September, Deputy Public Security Department Director for Criminal Investigation Affairs Maj. Gen. Tahsin Momani said 5,490 drug cases were registered in the first six months of 2015, 468 of which were related to trafficking, 36 to addiction and 4,986 to possession.