Jordan thwarts drug smuggling attempt at Iraq border crossing

Jordanian authorities announced on Monday that they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle in amounts of drugs coming from a "neighbouring" country, local Amoun news reported.

Customs and security stopped 21 kilograms of heroin and 2 kilograms of crystal meth from being smuggled into the kingdom in a truck via the Karameh border crossing with Iraq, a media spokesman for the Customs Department said.

The drugs were hidden in the truck's exhaust pipe covered in an iron plate, the spokesman said.

Both the substances and the driver of the truck were handed over to relevant authorities.

Although the incident took place at the Karameh crossing - Jordan's only border point with Iraq - drug busts often take place at Jordan’s northern frontier with Syria.

Jordanian authorities have thwarted several attempts to smuggle in drugs from its northern war-torn neighbour in recent years, especially since last year.

Reeling under more than a decade of instability, Syria is said to have become the world’s number one exporter of Captagon, a brand name for the amphetamine-type stimulant fenethylline.