Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to hold the dubious distinction of being the Middle East’s largest producer of Captagon, a powerful stimulant that fuels a billion-dollar narcotics industry. Recent major drug seizures in Syria and Saudi Arabia have reinforced concerns that the illicit trade, deeply entrenched in Syria’s war-ravaged economy, remains a formidable challenge for law enforcement across the region.

On March 11, Syria’s anti-narcotics unit intercepted a shipment of 100,000 Captagon pills along the border with Jordan. This seizure came just a day after Saudi authorities uncovered nearly 1.4 million Captagon tablets concealed within a shipment of air conditioning units. According to Saudi officials, the shipment originated from the United Arab Emirates and was intercepted at the Al Batha border crossing.

Captagon, originally developed in the 1960s in West Germany as a treatment for attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy, and depression, was banned in most countries by 1986 due to its highly addictive nature. However, counterfeit versions of the drug have become widely popular across the Middle East, particularly in Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. During Syria’s brutal civil war, it was also extensively used by fighters to enhance stamina and suppress fatigue.

Today’s illicit Captagon pills often contain a mixture of amphetamines, caffeine, and other substances, making them even more unpredictable and dangerous. The demand........

© Blitz