Jordan-Israel border becomes new hotspot for sophisticated drug trade

Smugglers in the Negev desert are increasingly using drones and helium balloons to transport narcotics across the border into Jordanian territory. Save Share Amman, Jordan –Jordanians fear the country’s border with Israel is turning into a major drug-smuggling route amid a surge in high-tech operations by gangs using drones and helium-filled balloons. Organised networks active in southern Israel’s Negev Desert have links to groups in Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, operating along one of the most heavily surveilled borders in the world, with Jordanian authorities increasingly concerned about the implications this could have for the kingdom. This escalation coincides with changes in the regional drug trade, particularly after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Elements in his regime were linked to the manufacturing and distribution of Captagon, an illegal amphetamine stimulant. Syria became a hub for the distribution of Captagon to the Gulf, with Jordan a transit point and market for the drug.The Royal Jordanian Air Force carried out periodic strikeson drug manufacturing and smuggling points inside Syria, highlighting the huge security concerns Jordan had about the trade. Since the collapse of the Assad government and the establishment of a new authority that views the Captagon trade as a national security issue, there has been a decrease in the drug trade from Syria into Jordan. AlthoughDruze militias in the Syrian provinceof Suwayda allegedly linked to Israel have been accused of continuing the drug trade, Jordanian security forces are increasingly focused on the Jordan-Israel border. The use of quadcopter drones and balloons is reportedly among the new tactics used by gangs in Israel to smuggle hashish, crystal meth, and amphetamines into Jordan. Jordanian security forces are said to be increasingly unhappy with the scale of the drug smuggling operations and have accused the Israeli army of not taking the issue seriously. Initial data from Jordanian forces recorded 17 interception operations linked to drones during the first half of 2026 in Jordan’s southwestern border area with Israel. They also recorded 231 smuggling and infiltration attempts and downed 56 drones across various borders during the same period. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told Al Jazeera that Jordanian forces were continuing efforts to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the kingdom....