• Army source said seized items were transferred to the “competent authorities”

Arab News

AMMAN: A drone carrying crystal meth that was flying into Jordan from Syria on Sunday was shot down by the Jordanian military, Petra news agency reported.

The state agency said in a statement the drone was “taken control of and downed,” citing a source within the Jordanian armed forces.

The source added that the seized items were transferred to the “competent authorities.”

War-torn Syria has become a hub for a multi-billion-dollar drugs trade, with Jordan a main transit route for a Syrian-made amphetamine known as Captagon.

The Jordanian military has previously downed drones from Syria carrying narcotics or weapons but has rarely identified seized drugs as crystal meth.

Military and security officials from Jordan and Syria have met to discuss ways to curb the growing smuggling problem. Despite pledges by Damascus, Jordan says it has not seen any real attempt to clamp down on the illicit trade.

In an interview last week, Syrian President Bashar Assad denied Syria’s role in the drug trade, saying that ending narcotics smuggling was a common interest that Syria shares with Arab countries.

* With Reuters