Syria Destroys Millions of Captagon Pills and Drugs Seized from Fourth Division
DAMASCUS:
On Sunday, Syrian security forces carried out a large-scale destruction of seized drugs, including approximately 100 million captagon pills, an amphetamine-like stimulant. The destruction was part of an effort to combat the narcotics trade that flourished under the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, according to an official statement.
In a 2022 AFP investigation, it was revealed that Syria had become a narco-state under Assad, with the $10-billion captagon trade surpassing all other exports. This industry not only funded Assad’s regime but also financed his adversaries.
Badr Youssef, an official, confirmed the destruction of “large quantities of narcotic pills,” including 100 million captagon pills and 10 to 15 tonnes of hashish. Raw materials used in captagon production were also destroyed.
The drugs were seized at the headquarters of the disbanded Fourth Division, a notorious branch of the Syrian army led by Assad’s brother, Maher. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the country’s anti-narcotics department, under the interior ministry, oversaw the destruction of the illicit substances seized from the Fourth Division’s headquarters.
