Drones and balloons carry narcotics as jordan israel border becomes hotspot for sophisticated drug trade

Smuggling methods expand

Smugglers in the Negev desert are using drones and helium-filled balloons to carry narcotics across the border into Jordan, according to the report. Jordanian security forces have expressed concern about the scale of these operations and accused the Israeli army of not taking the problem seriously.

Regional trade shifts

The escalation comes amid changes in the regional drug trade after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fell in late 2024. Syria had served as a Captagon distribution hub for the Gulf, while Jordan was both a transit route and a market.

Jordan’s air force periodically struck drug-production and smuggling sites inside Syria, reflecting the security concerns surrounding the trade. Druze militias in Syria’s Suwayda province, allegedly linked to Israel, have been accused of continuing drug trafficking.

Cases and market prices

Jordanian forces recorded 231 smuggling and infiltration attempts and brought down 56 drones across various borders during the period described. The article also reports 15,342 drug cases during the current year; trafficking made up about 28 percent, while usage cases accounted for 72 percent.

The price of one kilogram of hashish is estimated at about 7,500 pounds sterling, or almost $10,000, according to The Telegraph. Israeli security services believe hashish costs about 15 times more in Jordan than in Israel.

Trafficking networks and response

Al-Qudah warned that some black hashish and crystal meth smuggled into Jordan is sold within the country, while the remainder is sent to other regional markets. A West Point report said current and former Israeli military trackers in the Negev have been recruited by traffickers to provide intelligence for operations in Egypt.

Jordan’s counternarcotics department has tracked cases and made arrests in cooperation with the armed forces. Israel has also established the 96th Division, which began operating in the Jordan Valley in 2025, and is building a controversial security barrier along the border with Jordan.