ИОРДАНИЯ И ПРОБЛЕМА НАРКОТРАФИКА ИЗ СИРИИ

Abstract

Weak institutions, armed violence and economic crisis in Syria after the outbreak of war in 2011 contributed to the emergence of large-scale production of synthetic drugs (captagon). The Kingdom of Jordan became the main land route for its export to the Arabian Peninsula. Drug smuggling across the Jordanian Syrian border and armed clashes with Jordanian security forces have increased since the de-escalation in southern Syria in 2018, especially in 2022–2023 years. Jordan explains the increase in drug trafficking by the withdrawal of the Russian military police from southern Syria. According to Amman, pro-Iranian military groups are involved in illicit drug trafficking. If previously the biggest threat on the Syrian-Jordanian border was the influx of refugees and penetration of terrorist groups, now their place has been taken by drug smuggling. Syria has agreed to help end drug trafficking across its border with Jordan during discussing the normalization of ties of Arab states with Damascus. Nevertheless, the Jordanian effort to combat illegal drug can produce only a limited effect. Unlike the drug business, which is based on the cultivation of drugs, the production of synthetic drugs, on the contrary, does not engage many people. This could facilitate the war on drugs in the future, provided the regaining Syrian government control over the entire territory and successful the post-conflict reconstruction.