65 million pills were seized in Jordan, 15 million pills were seized in Saudi Arabia and 86 million pills were seized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These are just a few examples of the number of cases Gulf Arab states have dealt with in recent years over the drug Captagon being smuggled into the region.
Captagon is a highly addictive synthetic substance Amphetamine stimulants It is gaining popularity throughout the Middle East. This information is primarily produced in Syria and Lebanon by a network of individuals associated with Hezbollah and the elite 4th Division of the Syrian army, led by President Bashar al-Assad’s brother Maher.
Caroline Rose, director of the Captagon Trade Project at the New Lines Institute, spoke on FOX News Digital about Captagon’s appeal to all demographics.
“The pill’s ability to induce euphoria attracts recreational users and those seeking to suppress trauma, while seeking the ability to increase productivity, stop sleeping for hours at a time, and reduce hunger. “Some people want Captagon,” Rose said.
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A close-up of the seized Captagon pills. (Fox News/Getty Images)
“Because of this, Captagon has appealed to a mass audience that cuts across classes, generations and disciplines. Captagon is a household name among Dubai’s wealthy clubbers and university students alike.” [in] Taxi drivers in Riyadh, Beirut, and people struggling to find their next meal in Aleppo. ”
This drug was used by fighters. Syrian civil war Since then, it has been used in the Gulf region as a type of party drug, cheap and similar to low-grade cocaine.
This photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows a cache of Captagon pills seized during a special operation by the Saudi Ministry of Interior’s Directorate for Narcotics Enforcement. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images)
Rose said Captagon’s transactions are largely done off-the-books, making it difficult to determine exactly how much money the Assad regime makes from illegal alternative sources of income.
“The best estimate assessed so far is by the Syrian Political and Economic Network Observatory, which estimates that regime-aligned networks have earned at least $7 billion in trade over the past three years.” Rose explained.
“The largest industrial-scale manufacturing centers are located deep within regime-controlled territory, and many are known to be closely run by private individuals.” In cooperation with the Assad family, Fourth Division and/or Hezbollah. ”
“Despite increased awareness, Western sanctions against producers and traffickers, and pressure from regional stakeholders, it is unlikely that these networks will move production outside Syria.Syria does not have industrial-scale infrastructure. , government complicity, and the need for alternative income that is beneficial to Syria. Captagon trades to thrive.”
Captagon smuggling has increased in Riyadh, Amman and Dubai in recent years, most recently since the normalization of relations with Assad in May 2023.
Syria is returned to its territory, Welcome to the Arab League It was reinstated last spring for the first time in more than a decade, having been expelled in 2011 for its brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters.
“We shouldn’t have been surprised that Assad didn’t crack down on Captagon,” said Andrew Tabler, a Martin J. Gross senior fellow at the Washington Institute.
Due to Jordan’s proximity to Syria, cross-border drug smuggling has been one of the hardest hit in recent months. Tabler said Jordan is important as a transit country for Sunni Arab Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, and unstable security has made it difficult for Syrian smugglers to move Captagon to Iraq and other locations. He explained that
A photo taken on February 17, 2022, during a tour organized by the Jordanian military, shows a drone flying over an observation post along the border with Syria. (Khalil Mazraoui/afp/AFP via Getty Images)
“Jordan ends up literally being caught in the middle,” Tabler told Fox News Digital.
jordan army Said in late December Syrian troops reportedly engaged in a gunfight with Captagon and smugglers from Syria trying to take hashish across the border.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufyan Kuda told the state news agency. last month More drugs and weapons were reportedly seized after another attempted smuggling operation.
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“Drug and arms smuggling from Syria to Jordan has killed and injured scores of brave officers and poses a direct threat to Jordan’s security, which Jordan will continue to confront with resolute determination until it is completely defeated.” said Kuda.
Amman deals with increased smuggling Syria airstrike They are reportedly targeting suspected drug traffickers. Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack.
Rafale fighter jets at Jordanian Air Force Prince Hassan Air Base, December 22, 2023. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)
Tabler said Assad should be encouraged to halt or significantly reduce Captagon production.
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“You can buy him out with a carrot. That’s what he wants. He wants reconstruction funds,” he explained. “Another way to stop this behavior is to through military power. Jordanians have used it repeatedly over the last month and throughout the last year. ”
“That’s the quickest way to stop someone from doing something, but you have to be able to sustain it. And there’s a lot more Captagon to knock out the bomb, so to speak. So we… I’m really stuck.’ I’m trying to figure out how to deal with this. ”
