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Day: June 5, 2024
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NPR News: 06-05-2024 7AM EDT
AMMAN — Jordan has foiled two plots to smuggle millions of captagon pills through a border post near Saudi Arabia, in the biggest seizure in years of drugs smuggled by Iran-linked networks operating in southern Syria to lucrative Gulf markets.
The haul was discovered hidden in construction vehicles at the Omari crossing, officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
Law enforcement authorities had for weeks tracked two separate operations bringing the consignment of drugs across Jordan’s northern border with Syria, but unlike previous drugs busts authorities made the seizure at the Saudi border.
War-ravaged Syria has become the region’s main site for the mass production of the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon, with Jordan a key transit route to the oil-rich Gulf states, Western anti-narcotics officials say.
Jordanian officials, like their Western allies, say that Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group and pro-Iranian militias who control much of southern Syria are behind a surge in the multi-billion-dollar drugs and weapons trade. Iran and Hezbollah deny the allegations.
U.N. experts and U.S. and European officials say the illicit drug trade finances a proliferation of pro-Iranian militias and pro-government paramilitary forces created by more than a decade of conflict in Syria.
AMMAN — Jordan has foiled two plots to smuggle millions of captagon pills through a border post near Saudi Arabia, in the biggest seizure in years of drugs smuggled by Iran-linked networks operating in southern Syria to lucrative Gulf markets.
The haul was discovered hidden in construction vehicles at the Omari crossing, officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
Law enforcement authorities had for weeks tracked two separate operations bringing the consignment of drugs across Jordan’s northern border with Syria, but unlike previous drugs busts authorities made the seizure at the Saudi border.
War-ravaged Syria has become the region’s main site for the mass production of the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon, with Jordan a key transit route to the oil-rich Gulf states, Western anti-narcotics officials say.
Jordanian officials, like their Western allies, say that Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group and pro-Iranian militias who control much of southern Syria are behind a surge in the multi-billion-dollar drugs and weapons trade. Iran and Hezbollah deny the allegations.
U.N. experts and U.S. and European officials say the illicit drug trade finances a proliferation of pro-Iranian militias and pro-government paramilitary forces created by more than a decade of conflict in Syria.
Armenia and Georgia will submit a joint bid to host the 2029 FIFA U20 World Cup.
Presidents of the Football Federations of Armenia and Georgia Armen Melikbekyan and Levan Kobiashvili made the announcement at a joint press conference in Yerevan.
“Given the good-neighborly relations between the Football Federations of Armenia and Georgia, and the brilliant cooperation in a number of fields, the Federations have decided to submit a bill to host the 2029 FIFA U20 World Cup,” Armen Melikbekyan said.
He noted that the work on the joint bid will start today.
Armenia, Georgia to submit joint bid to host 2029 FIFA U20 World Cup – Public Radio of Armenia Public Radio of Armenia – Official Web site
The #Russian border guards have already left the Nerkin Hand section,” said Syunik Marz Governor Robert Ghukasyan. To the clarifying question about the remaining parts, Ghukasyan answered that the process continues. The Russian border guards established new bases in Tavush and… pic.twitter.com/6cZv6vLcOC
— Robert Ananyan (@robananyan) June 5, 2024