The Associated Press reports that Syria’s captagon trade earned an estimated $5.6 billion annually, with Saudi Arabia being the primary destination. Assad’s captagon factories were heavily protected, concealed behind concrete walls and years of silence from the regime. The drugs were cleverly hidden inside everyday items, from wooden furniture to plastic fruit.
Originally developed in the 1960s as a legitimate German medication, captagon was used to treat conditions like depression and ADHD under the chemical name fenetylline. However, European countries began banning it in the 1980s due to its addictive properties. That’s when Assad saw an opportunity to smuggle the drug from Eastern Europe into the Middle East during the 2000s.
Although Assad's fall has severely impacted Syria’s captagon empire, UN officials caution that experienced traffickers will likely adapt. The UN’s drug office believes Iraq could become the next major trafficking hub, given its strategic position for smuggling routes. In 2023, Iraqi authorities intercepted 4.1 tons of captagon, and alarmingly, addiction rates in Iraq have surged, with double the number of people now struggling with drug addiction compared to just a few years ago.
International authorities are still hunting for Maher al-Assad, Bashar’s younger brother, who controlled both the regime’s powerful 4th Armored Division and its expansive drug network. France issued an arrest warrant for Maher in November on charges of crimes against humanity, while conflicting reports suggest he may be in Russia or the UAE.
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