Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication and official spokesperson, Mohammad al-Momani, said that drug smuggling has “significantly decreased” at the official border crossings between Syria and Jordan.
In an interview with the Jordanian “al-Mamlaka” channel today, Friday, August 15, al-Momani considered this an indication of an official governmental effort by the Syrian government in addressing and halting the issue.
He added that the problem remains along Jordan’s northeastern border with Syria, stressing that while there has been a decline, it is still not at the desired level, noting at the same time that the Syrian side is still in the process of reconstruction.
He mentioned that high-level security and military committees are dealing with this issue in close coordination.
“Excellent” relations
Relations between Damascus and Amman have been steadily improving since the fall of the former regime. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was the first minister to arrive in Syria after December 8, 2024, and has since overseen trilateral talks regarding the events in Suwayda, southern Syria.
Regarding the trilateral meeting between Jordan, Syria, and the United States, al-Momani said the most important outcome was affirming the unity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as exploring ways to best support Syria in reconstruction, consolidating security and stability, and addressing security conditions in Syrian provinces—especially in the south—to enhance security, stability, and protect Syrian lives.
He noted that the aid sent by Jordan to Suwayda province was coordinated with official Syrian authorities, stressing that Jordan is concerned with preserving Syrian lives and maintaining Syria’s security and stability through the proper and necessary channels.
Al-Momani affirmed that Jordanian-Syrian relations are “excellent,” describing Jordan’s stance toward Syria as “nationalist, Arabist, and fraternal.”
He said that Jordan supports Syria’s territorial unity, sovereignty, and stability, and is doing everything it can to achieve this goal, working on measures that reinforce this direction.
On bilateral relations, al-Momani pointed to ongoing and increasing cooperation through sectoral committees operating in the fields of energy, trade, transport, and social development, with ongoing consultations in these areas.
He also indicated that cross-border movement between Jordan and Syria is witnessing steady growth, with continued discussions in these fields.
Jordan… the southern smuggling gateway
The drug trade, particularly Captagon pills, flourished under the former Syrian regime.
Maher al-Assad, commander of the now-dissolved “Fourth Division” of the former Syrian army and brother of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, is accused of running the Captagon trade in cooperation with external parties, most notably Lebanon’s “Hezbollah.”
Jordan, Syria’s southern neighbor, has been the primary outlet for smuggling and exporting the drug by land, serving as a gateway for Captagon trafficking either for internal distribution or to reach other countries, especially Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia at the forefront.
Amman repeatedly announced the thwarting of Captagon smuggling operations in recent years, some through the official “Jaber-Nasib ” border crossing, and others through illegal routes.
After the regime’s fall, smuggling operations along Jordan’s southern border continued, escalating into clashes and airstrikes inside Syrian territory.
The Syrian government has sought to tackle the issue, with the Ministry of Interior managing to dismantle numerous Captagon production facilities that had spread widely in Syria, seizing 121 tons of raw materials used in drug manufacturing and 320 million Captagon pills, according to a ministry statement on Facebook on June 26.
On May 29, the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the seizure of a drug shipment during an attempt to smuggle it through the “Nasib ” border crossing with Jordan, which was destined for Gulf states.
Damascus and Amman forge closer ties beyond traditional boundaries
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