Jordanian officials warn of high-tech drug smuggling across Israel border

Jordanian authorities have raised alarms over a growing drug-smuggling corridor that runs from the Negev Desert in Israel through the Jordan-Israel border into the kingdom. Organized criminal groups are deploying advanced methods, including quadcopter drones capable of carrying roughly 50 kg of narcotics and helium-filled balloons equipped with GPS, to move hashish, crystal meth and amphetamines. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya reported 17 drone-related interceptions and 231 overall smuggling attempts in the first half of 2026, with 56 drones downed across various borders.

The networks are connected to gangs operating in the Sinai Peninsula and southern Israel, where hashish can sell for about £7,500 per kilogram, a price roughly fifteen times higher than in Israel. Experts cite the post-Assad shift in regional drug routes, noting that Jordan once served as a transit hub for Captagon from Syria but now faces new pressures from Israeli-based traffickers. Jordanian officials accuse the Israeli army of insufficient attention to the problem, while Israeli security services deny any official involvement.