Syria's secret drug war: Captagon empire uncovered
During an offensive against Bashar al-Assad's government, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters discovered significant quantities of captagon. The drug was being produced on a massive scale by the Syrian regime. "As we entered the area we found a huge quantity of captagon. So we destroyed it and burned it. It's a huge amount," said an HTS member.
2:01 PM EST, December 13, 2024
HTS claims that captagon tablets were found hidden in electronic components intended for export in a warehouse in the Damascus area.
The drug production was linked to Maher Assad, the brother of the ousted Syrian president.
At the Mazze Airbase, the fighters burned piles of tablets. "As we entered the area we found a huge quantity of captagon. So we destroyed it and burned it. It's a huge amount, brother," said an HTS member, emphasizing that the group does not want to harm neighbors by exporting drugs.
According to the UN, from 2012 to 2021, 67% of the seized captagon originated from Syria. From May 2023 to July 2024, Saudi Arabia seized 76 billion tablets of this drug.
Drug used by Hussein's military and ISIS fighters
Captagon, initially developed as a medication for ADHD and narcolepsy, was withdrawn from treatment due to its addictive properties. Syria produced a contaminated version, generating annual revenues estimated at $10 billion, of which $2.4 billion went to Assad's regime.
The drug was widely used in conflicts in the Middle East, including by Saddam Hussein's troops and Islamic State fighters. After Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023, the Israeli army discovered tablets among the belongings of fallen terrorists. Captagon is also popular among students, laborers, and drivers.
