Millions of Captagon Pills Seized in Syria's Latest Drug Smuggling Crackdown
"Based on accurate intelligence from our sources, we carried out an operation in Latakia in which a shipment of narcotic substances hidden inside industrial equipment was intercepted. The smugglers intended to export it outside the country," Syria's Interior Ministry stated.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Syrian authorities have intercepted yet another massive haul of Captagon, announcing on Monday the seizure of more than four million pills hidden inside industrial food processing machinery. The operation, conducted in the coastal province of Latakia, underscores the country’s ongoing role as a major hub in the region’s booming narcotics trade.
The Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed that the seizure was made following "accurate intelligence from our sources," which enabled security forces to intercept the shipment before it could be smuggled out of the country.
"Based on accurate intelligence from our sources, we carried out an operation in Latakia in which a shipment of narcotic substances hidden inside industrial equipment was intercepted. The smugglers intended to export it outside the country," the ministry stated.
Authorities recovered over four million Captagon tablets carefully concealed within food manufacturing equipment, a tactic increasingly used by smugglers to avoid detection.
"Individuals linked to the smuggling attempt have been arrested, and the equipment containing the narcotics has been confiscated. The detainees have been referred for investigation," the ministry added.
The bust comes on the heels of an even larger drug seizure reported less than a week earlier, in which nine million Captagon pills were confiscated en route to Turkey. These incidents highlight the scale and persistence of narcotics trafficking networks operating from Syrian territory.
Western intelligence agencies and regional observers have consistently accused the Assad regime and affiliated actors of overseeing Captagon production and distribution to generate critical revenue amid the ongoing economic collapse triggered by Syria’s prolonged civil war. Captagon—a potent amphetamine popular in the Middle East—has become emblematic of this shadow economy, with billions of dollars' worth of pills intercepted across the region in recent years.
Despite repeated denials from Damascus, Syrian officials have failed to dispel growing international scrutiny over their alleged complicity in the trade. The latest seizures will likely fuel further calls for accountability and action against transnational smuggling networks that use Syria as a central node in the narcotics supply chain.
With the region facing an escalating Captagon crisis, Monday’s operation marks another chapter in a broader struggle to curb the flow of synthetic drugs that continue to destabilize neighboring states and fund criminal enterprises across the Middle East.
