Israeli Gangs Flood Jordan With Drugs Via Drones, Balloons
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Israeli smuggling gangs are reportedly using drones and balloons to traffic large quantities of drugs into Jordan, exploiting a significant price difference. The issue has intensified due to increased Jordanian efforts to curb drug production and transit from Syria. While Jordan claims Israel selectively publicizes arms busts and ignores drug smuggling from its territory, Israel's military denies this, highlighting its own extensive efforts and drug seizures along the eastern border.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli smuggling gangs are using drones and balloons to flood Jordan with illegal drugs, according to The Telegraph.
- Drug prices in Jordan are up to 15 times higher than in Israel, creating a strong incentive for smugglers.
- Increased Jordanian military action against drug routes from Syria has shifted supply channels to the Israeli border.
- Jordanian officials accuse Israel of selectively reporting arms busts while ignoring drug smuggling from Israeli territory.
- The IDF denies these accusations, detailing significant efforts and drug seizures along the eastern border.
Israeli smuggling gangs are flooding Jordan with illegal drugs, primarily using drones and balloons to cross the border, according to a report by the British newspaper The Telegraph. This revelation coincides with a recent incident in the Arava region where Israeli police and IDF forces responded to a drone that crashed in the Hai-Bar Yotvata nature reserve, suspected of carrying a drug payload from Jordan. The smugglers are reportedly exploiting a significant price disparity for drugs between the two countries, with hashish in Jordan costing up to 15 times more than in Israel, approximately 30,000 shekels per kilogram. This price surge is attributed to increased Jordanian military efforts against drug smuggling from Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime, which has disrupted traditional supply routes. Jordanian security forces have intercepted substantial quantities of Captagon pills, crystal meth, and hashish bricks this year. The resulting shortage in the Jordanian market has made the Israeli border along the Arava and Jordan Valley a key supply channel. The Telegraph also noted that the same networks involved in smuggling drugs into Jordan are often responsible for smuggling weapons into Israel. Jordanian military sources have criticized Israel's publicizing of only arms smuggling busts, claiming it selectively portrays Jordan as lawless while ignoring drug crime originating from Israel. They accuse Israel of inflating the arms smuggling threat to justify its military actions in the West Bank and border areas, while Jordanian border police actively combat drug trafficking. The IDF vehemently denies these claims, stating that they do not reflect the extensive efforts being made to secure the eastern border. An IDF spokesperson told The Telegraph that a dedicated division, 96, was established to defend the eastern border, alongside the construction of a new security barrier and upgraded detection systems. The IDF emphasized that in the past year, alongside intercepting numerous arms smuggling attempts, thousands of kilograms of drugs destined for the border were seized.
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