Since the beginning of its civil war in 2011, Syria has become the leading producer and exporter of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-type stimulant that is being trafficked throughout the Middle East and Europe.
In April 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act which provides for new sanctions against individuals, entities, and networks affiliated with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who produce and traffic Captagon to secure funds for the regime's war machine and overcome financial hardship caused by the international sanctions imposed on it since 2011.
To expand its Captagon empire, the Syrian regime has also exploited its network of Iranian allies, such as Lebanese Hizbullah, Iraqi militias, and Iran's IRGC, who are using their presence in Syrian territories to protect Captagon factories and secure the transportation of the drug across national borders.
The following document complies MEMRI JTTM reports which highlight suspicious activities of the Syrian regime, as reported by Syrian opposition news websites and jihadi Telegram channels.
Some reports identify the names of Syrian officials and the regime's loyalists who are involved in Captagon manufacturing, while others specify the location of factories where it is produced.
The first section includes reports discussing the involvement of the Bashar Al-Assad regime and Iran backed-militias, including Lebanese Hizbullah and Iraqi militias, in the drug manufacture and smuggling operations.
The second section includes reports on counter-narcotics efforts exerted by Jordan and Turkey to seize Captagon shipments coming from Syria.
The third section includes reports on the involvement of Idlib-based jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in "seizing” and “facilitating" trafficking operations in and out of Syria.
Moreover, this document includes content exclusive to the MEMRI JTTM subscription service.
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