Jordan and Syria have agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Western anti-narcotics officials say the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon is being mass-produced in Syria and that Jordan is a transit route to Gulf states.
Jordan’s army has conducted several pre-emptive airstrikes in Syria since 2023 which Jordanian officials say targeted militias accused of links to the drug trade and the militias’ facilities.
“We discussed securing the borders, especially the threat of arms and drugs smuggling and the resurgence of ISIS. Our security is one, we will coordinate together to combat these mutual challenges,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.
Shibani, who was in Amman after visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, told Safadi that drug smuggling would not pose a threat to Jordan under Syria’s new rulers.
“The new situation in Syria ended the threats posed to Jordan’s security,” he said.
Referring to the addictive amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon, he said: “When it comes to captagon and drug smuggling, we promise it is over and won’t return. We are ready to cooperate on this extensively.”
Reuters
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