Kurdistan Region confiscates 10 million Captagon pills in a year, says anti-narcotics authority

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region’s anti-narcotics forces have confiscated over 10 million Captagon pills in the past 12 months, as the region ramps up efforts to tackle the illicit drug, according to an official statement.

“The confiscation of such a large amount [of Captagon] is proof that there are those who have made serious attempts to make people use and trade such a dangerous pill,” the Directorate of Combatting Drugs said in a statement shared with Kurdistan 24 on Saturday.

The use of the pill, which has seen a surge in the Middle East in recent years, has been “very limited and decreased in the Kurdistan Region,” the agency noted.

The Directorate similarly announced the arrest of a “foreign drug dealer” along with a 136 kilogram of Captagon pills on Friday overnight. The arrest was made in cooperation with Mosul security forces, per the press release.

The Directorate also mentioned another cooperation with Iraqi federal anti-narcotics forces that led to the confiscation of 100kg of Captagon pills. 

Drug trafficking and use have seen a surge in Iraq, particularly in recent decades.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior on Thursday announced that seven thousand people were tried on drug-related charges in 2023 only.

Captagon pills, a brand name for an amphetamine-like stimulant, are one of the most widely trafficked drugs in Iraq. It is believed that most of the low-cost drugs are produced in war-torn Syria and widely trafficked to the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among others.

Users feel mild euphoria after taking Captagon pills. The use of the drug leads to various health problems, including high blood pressure, hallucinations, and blurred vision. Irritability and fatigue are also the two most common withdrawal symptoms of Captagon.

In July this year, the Iraqi security forces found a Captagon lab in Muthana province "for the first time," an Iraqi interior ministry spokesperson said at the time.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in mid-October held a Conference on Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in the presence of several faith community leaders, security officials, and regional and Western diplomats to discuss the issue.

Additional reporting by Kurdistan24 reporter Azar Farooq