Amman - (AFP) - The Jordanian army announced in a statement on Sunday that the Border Guard forces thwarted a drug smuggling operation from Syrian territory at dawn Sunday and seized more than three million Captagon pills and 8,773 palms of hashish.

The statement quoted an official military source in the General Command of the Armed Forces as saying, "The Border Guard forces detected, through observations, an attempt by a group of smugglers to cross the border illegally from Syrian territory to Jordanian territory, and rapid reaction patrols were launched and rules of engagement were applied with direct shooting at them." As a result, a number of them were wounded and the others fled into the Syrian depths."

He added, "After intensifying searches and inspections of the area, 8,773 palms of hashish and three million and 141,000 Captagon pills were found, in addition to 376 Kalashnikov rounds," referring to "the transfer of the seized items to the competent authorities."

And on February 17, the Jordanian army announced that attempts to smuggle drugs across the Syrian-Jordanian border, which extends for about 375 km, a large number of which have been thwarted in recent months, have become an "organization" that uses drones and is protected by armed groups.

The army said at the time that the Jordanian authorities thwarted, within about 45 days at the beginning of the year, the entry of more than 16 million Captagon pills, equivalent to the quantity that was seized throughout the year 2021.

The Kingdom confirms that 85 percent of the drugs seized are intended for smuggling out of Jordan, especially south to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.

The Captagon industry is not new in the region, and Syria has been the most prominent source of this substance since before the outbreak of the war in 2011. However, the conflict has made its manufacture more popular, used and exported. Captagon pill factories are also active in several areas in neighboring Lebanon.

The Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, are the main destination for Captagon pills, which is an easy-to-manufacture drug. Classified by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as a “stimulant amphetamine,” it is usually a mixture of amphetamines, caffeine, and other substances.