Jordanian officials warn of expanding drug smuggling from Israel’s Negev, citing 17 drone interceptions and 15,342 seized-drug cases

Jordanian authorities say drug-smuggling networks operating in southern Israel are increasingly moving narcotics into Jordan, with security forces recording 17 drone-related interception operations in the southwestern border area during the first half of 2026. Jordanian forces have expressed frustration with the scale of the operations and accused the Israeli army of failing to take the threat seriously.

The networks use quadcopters, drones and helium-filled balloons fitted with GPS devices to carry hashish, crystal meth and amphetamines across the border. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told Al Jazeera that cases involving seized drugs had reached 15,342 this year.

Experts and officials, including Jordanian Senator Ammar al-Qudah, warned that gangs based in the Negev have acquired more than 1,000 drones. They described routes running from the Sinai Peninsula through the Negev to Wadi Araba. Some sources have questioned how the high-tech devices cross heavily surveilled borders.

Strategic expert Daifallah al-Daboubi said the Israeli military’s preoccupation with wars in Gaza, Lebanon and the Golan Heights had given smugglers extensive room to maneuver, while ruling out direct leadership involvement. Israel has strengthened its eastern border, including by establishing the 96th Division; analysts say those measures are aimed primarily at preventing illicit weapons from entering Israeli territory.

British media reports say hashish prices in Jordan are roughly 15 times higher than in Israel, creating strong financial incentives for criminal gangs in Beersheba and the Negev to use advanced smuggling methods.

The post links the shift toward the Jordan-Israel frontier to changes in regional drug trafficking after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, which it says reduced Captagon trafficking from Syria.