At the border with Iraq, Jordan recovered one tonne of amphetamine pills concealed in date paste.

Six million pills of the narcotic known as Captagon were discovered in two refrigerated trucks.

According to the Jordanian Customs Department, it was among the largest such hauls ever seized.

Captagon, termed “the poor man’s cocaine,” is mass-produced in Syria, where a decade-long civil conflict has transformed into a narco-state.

At the height of the fighting, militant factions fed militants with the substance, which is frequently laced with caffeine to increase their courage.

Many ordinary Syrians became involved in the trade, which is now worth far more than all legal exports, as their poverty grew.

Despite denials from the Syrian government, publications have linked influential corporate and military people to the production and distribution of Captagon.

The amphetamine is smuggled into neighboring nations, including Jordan and Lebanon. Frequently, the eventual destination is in the Gulf states, where there is a substantial market.

The most recent seizure was made at the Iraqi-Jordanian border crossing at Al-Karamah.

Details are sketchy. It is unknown where the drugs were intended to be sold or how many people were arrested.

A Cyprus-based think tank said in 2021 that Captagon production had a market worth of approximately $3.5 billion (£2.7 billion; €3.2 billion) in the preceding year.

The frequency of clashes between the Jordanian military and drug traffickers is increasing, and drug hauls are growing in size.

The soldiers’ policy is to shoot to kill. The Jordanian army thwarted a coordinated attempt to cross into the nation on January 27 and executed 27 smugglers.