Crime in Jordan: Difference between revisions

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This is an overview of crime in Jordan.

Jordan has experienced a drastic decrease in terrorism since 2020. Despite this, the country has faced a continued threat from extremist groups.^[1]

Analysts reported that Islamist groups in Jordan are growing in size and becoming increasingly violent, and in early 2015, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups had at least 9,000 supporters in the country, and 2,000 of them left for Syria. Leading Jordanian expert in Islamist groups Mohammed Abu Rumman stated that, "the real danger of [ISIS] is not external, it is internal," and that radical Islamist ideologies are reaching middle class students in the country.^[2]

Extremists kill an average of 20 women a year in Jordan in honor killings because they have supposedly disgraced their families. However, human rights groups believe the actual number is higher because Jordanian authorities reportedly do not document every incident. Despite the punishment for murder being death, courts often commute sentences for honor killings.^[3]

Jordan serves as a source, transit, and destination for human trafficking.^[4] The US Department of State ranked Jordan at Tier 2 on its 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, stating that the country's government did not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, but was making significant efforts to do so.^[5]

Many foreign workers in Jordan are undocumented, making them more vulnerable to trafficking due to informal work arrangements. Jordan's kafala system also increases their vulnerability due to it preventing them from changing employers without consent from the initial employer. Refugees from Syria, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq, primarily women and children, are vulnerable to trafficking, with some working illegally or in the informal sector. An NGO estimated that there were at least 500,000 workers; primarily women from South and Southeast Asia, in Jordan who were highly susceptible to forced labor in 2022.^[6]

Cases of Syrian refugee women and girls being sold into forced marriages have been reported. Lebanese, North African, and Eastern European women who migrated to Jordan for work have also been targeted by sex traffickers, and so have Jordanian women working in nightclubs.^[6]

Since 2020, smugglers have increasingly used Jordan as a corridor to traffic illegal narcotics out of Syria and into the richer Gulf states.^[7][8] The most widely consumed drug in the country is cannabis resin, with most of it originating from Lebanon and entering through the border with Syria and Iraq. Captagon is also present in the country. Though Jordan has been used primarily as a transit zone for the drug, its expanding regional market has attracted domestic users as well, primarily young people in Amman. Drugs such as heroin and Joker, a synthetic form of cannabis often mixed with toxic compounds, have been smuggled through Jordan with the purpose of transiting them to the Gulf States. However, the two attracted a small domestic market. Cocaine also has a presence in the country, however due to its expensive costs, it is not as notable as other drugs. Despite this, traffickers have occasionally attempted to smuggle it via air.^[9]

The use of drones by smugglers to transport narcotics into Jordan has become an increased threat. Drones efficiently evade detection and interception. They are also more cost-effective, with the devices being estimated to cost around US$1,000 or less, and some or all of the drones used have been equipped with an autonomous return function, which ensures their return to their operators. Due to this, they are responsible for establishing more security challenges for Jordan. Land-based smuggling, however, has remained the dominant method in drug trafficking due to its efficacy. There has still been a surge in the use of drones to traffic drugs, but Jordanian authorities managed to thwart eleven incidents involving drones in 2023.^[10]

The weapons used by smugglers have become more advanced, with their armory including rocket-propelled grenades, mines, and anti-tank weaponry.^[8]

At least 160 groups operate in southern Syria, close to the Jordanian border.^[11]

Armed smugglers from Syria have clashed with Jordanian forces numerous times in attempts to breach the country’s border, causing casualties on both sides. Jordan has blamed Iran-backed militias for its drug war. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly aided in the establishment of a Captagon factory in al-Bukamal, which is also allegedly monitored by Hezbollah affiliates.^[12] Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya blamed Syria for the increase in drug trafficking cases, and stated that every truck that enters the country from the Jaber crossing is presumed to be carrying drugs unless proven otherwise. He also claimed that the Syrian government earns US$5 billion yearly from narcotics trade.^[13] Other observers blame Syria's Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Army, however they deny involvement in the production of Captagon.^[14] Senior Jordanian officer Colonel Mustafa al-Hiyari confirmed that some Syrian Army checkpoints cooperated with smugglers and provided protection for them, however he could not confirm that they were instructed to do so, and suggested that the incidents were examples of corruption.^[11] Syria's 4th and 5th brigades, and some Hezbollah affiliates also reportedly play roles in the acquisition of drones used by smugglers.^[10]

Illegal arms trade in Jordan is relatively small compared to its neighboring countries. Despite this, there has been an increase in arms smuggling on its border with Israel, particularly in the north-west region. Some arms smugglers have links to terrorist organizations and regime forces in neighboring countries. The normalization of arms ownership in Jordan has created an increase in domestic demand for weapons, and the remaining arms are typically sold to buyers in the Palestinian territories.^[9] Mossad has blamed the increase in arms smuggling into Israel on Iran, and Benjamin Netanyahu called for the creation of a "security fence" between the border of the West Bank and Jordan in order to reduce drug and arms smuggling into the country.^[15] In the first months of 2023, the Israel Defense Forces seized around 1,600 arms being smuggled into Israel.^[16] Arms smuggling activities are typically concentrated in the Jordan Valley.^[17]

In Palestine, there has been an increase in demand for arms, and Jordan has a large supply of weapons, resulting in mutual motivation to engage in smuggling. The recipients of the arms are suspected to be mainly terrorist and criminal organizations. However, it is likely that some of the weapons are intended for Hamas and elements in Fatah to expand their capabilities to compete for control over the Palestinian Authority.^[16]

In 2021, the homicide rate in Jordan was 1 case per 100,000 population.^[18]

Though not as prevalent as other crimes facilitated by the internet, cybercrimes still have a presence in Jordan. Cybercriminals often attempt to disrupt networks, steal data, and exploit infrastructure to launch further attacks. Reports have suggested an increase in the number of malware attacks in the country. Other common forms of cybercrimes in Jordan are the use of spyware and ransomware attempts.^[9]