Russian military police have conducted a patrol along the Syrian-Jordanian border in the southern Syrian governorate of Suweida, as part of an arrangement between Russia and Jordan to address the escalation of smuggling activities towards the Kingdom’s territory.
According to the network Sweida 24, the Russian military police embarked on their patrol from the village of Dhibin, southwest of Suweida, and proceeded to Melh, southeast of the governorate. During the patrol, they also visited the village of Um al-Rumman.
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These surveillance patrols on the Syrian-Jordanian border began in early 2023, in response to the surge in drug smuggling operations from the region into Jordan. However, the network claims that these patrols are merely symbolic and have not significantly contributed to combating the smuggling issue.
Rayan Maarouf, the director of Sweida 24, revealed that the Russian forces conduct routine monthly patrols along the border villages in Suweida and Jordan. On this occasion, the patrol covered approximately 40 kilometres of the Syrian-Jordanian border. These patrols were initiated following Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Jordan in December 2022, during which discussions on the Syrian issue also focused on the drug smuggling escalation.
Maarouf noted that despite the patrols, no suspected locations involved in drug smuggling from Syria to Jordan in the border villages of Suweida governorate were inspected. Additionally, similar patrols encompass border villages in the Daraa governorate, but they too are merely ceremonial and have not effectively curtailed or stopped the smuggling activities. Notably, the smuggling operations tend to occur during nighttime, avoiding the daytime patrols’ oversight.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
