Cross-Border Smuggling Route Fuels Crime and Terror with Drugs and Weapons
A major smuggling corridor spanning Egypt, Israel, and Jordan is facilitating the illegal trade of drugs and weapons, generating millions of shekels and empowering criminal and terrorist groups. This route exploits the largely unfortified eastern border of Israel with Jordan, which security officials identify as a critical vulnerability. Over the past month alone, Israeli Northern District Border Unit forces intercepted three smuggling attempts involving hundreds of kilograms of drugs valued at millions of shekels.
The smuggling operation begins with drugs entering Israel from Egypt, then moving eastward to Jordan, where there is high demand for Egyptian narcotics. The smugglers, primarily from the Bedouin diaspora, profit significantly by selling the drugs across the Jordanian border, with each kilogram yielding profits of 30,000 to 40,000 shekels. Payments for these drugs often come in the form of weapons and funds, which are smuggled back into Israel, feeding both criminal networks and terrorist organizations.
Northern District Border Unit commander Chief Inspector Yaron Vaknin explained that the weapons smuggled into Israel partly reach the criminal underworld and partly the security threat sphere. This cycle of drugs for weapons exacerbates security risks along the eastern border, which lacks a substantial fence over large stretches. Recent months have also seen increased use of large drones to facilitate smuggling.
The Defense Ministry's CEO Amir Baram recently described the eastern sector as Israel's most sensitive security area. Cooperation between police, Shin Bet, and the IDF aims to counteract these smuggling activities, which include attempts to smuggle explosive devices and advanced weaponry intended for Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank. Authorities emphasize the ongoing challenge posed by the lucrative smuggling trade and the need for continued vigilance to prevent weapons from reaching terrorist hands.
Summary: A lucrative smuggling route crossing Egypt, Israel, and Jordan traffics drugs and weapons, fueling crime and terrorism. Israeli security forces have recently intercepted large drug shipments and warn that weapons smuggled back into Israel threaten national security. The eastern border’s lack of a significant fence and increased drone use complicate enforcement efforts, prompting coordinated action by police, Shin Bet, and the IDF.
