About 100 million Captagon pills destroyed  in Damascus

According to a security official, identified as Abu Riyan, the stash contained an estimated 50 to 60 million Captagon pills.

Members of the security forces with Syria's new government inspect a warehouse that used to hide pills of Captagon, during a raid in Latakia on Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo: AFP)
Members of the security forces with Syria's new government inspect a warehouse that used to hide pills of Captagon, during a raid in Latakia on Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo: AFP)

Jan. 19, 2025

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Security forces from the Syrian transitional government destroyed a significant quantity of narcotics in Damascus on Sunday, including approximately 100 million Captagon pills, which were reportedly produced on an industrial scale during the tenure of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, according to AFP.

Badr Youssef, an official from the Syrian transitional government's Military Operations Command, told AFP, “We have destroyed vast amounts of narcotic pills.” He elaborated that the operation targeted 100 million Captagon pills and between 10 to 15 tons of weed, all of which were incinerated by security forces.

The operation also included the destruction of raw materials used in manufacturing these drugs, Youssef added, speaking from the headquarters of the Fourth Division, previously commanded by Maher al-Assad, the brother of the former president. The drugs were seized and destroyed at the division’s facilities. 

According to a security official, identified as Abu Riyan, the stash contained an estimated 50 to 60 million Captagon pills. He stated that the warehouse, owned by the Fourth Division, was strategically located near Latakia port and served as a hub for packaging and exporting narcotics to neighboring countries.

The official Syrian Arab News Agency (aka SANA) also confirmed the destruction of the confiscated materials, describing them as remnants of the "defunct regime" that were stored at the Fourth Division's headquarters. 

In a related operation, SANA reported on Saturday the discovery of a “massive warehouse belonging to the defunct regime” in the western Syrian city of Latakia. The facility was used to conceal Captagon pills in children’s toys and household furniture for smuggling purposes.

According to a 2022 AFP investigation, Syria under Assad had become a narcos state, with the $10-billion Captagon industry dwarfing all other exports and funding both his regime and many of his enemies.

Revenues from Captagon sales sustained Assad’s government for much of the 13-year conflict, transforming Syria into the world’s leading narco-state. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has identified Syria and Lebanon as major departure points for Captagon shipments.

Captagon is a counterfeit drug mimicking a medication originally developed in the 1960s. The scientific name of Captagon is Fenethylline.

The drug’s composition stimulates the central nervous system and includes enhanced amphetamine, resulting in far stronger and faster psychological effects compared to amphetamine alone. It induces feelings of energy, vitality, and happiness. Additionally, it contains theophylline, a compound with effects similar to caffeine, acting as a stimulant for the brain.

Captagon was first manufactured as a medication in Germany in 1962 to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, a condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable sleepiness. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) banned its production and distribution in 1986 after it was found to be highly addictive.