Despite the current government hostility to trade, the country remains a center for the production and distribution of medication.
During the country’s long civil war, the Assad regime was affected by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, and Captagon’s trade reportedly reported billions of dollars for the dictator and his allies.
The country’s attitude towards trade changed considerably after the fall of Assad in December 2024, and the rise of the power of a transitional government led by members of the Islamist group HTS and including members of many ethnic groups of Syria. The current administration is committed to disrupting the supply chain and demonstrated it by publicly destroying large quantities of captagon seized.
Thousands of people gathered in Damascus on Friday to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime.
However, the most recent edition of the Global drug reportreleased by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc) On June 26, warns that Syria remains a major hub for the medication, despite the repression.
Before the launch, Angela Me, head of social affairs at the Onudc, spoke to UN News on the continuous use of Captagon in the region,
Angela me: Captagon is a stimulant, similar to methamphetamine, which is taken like a pill, and for many years, it has been the main concern in the Gulf State and in certain parts of North Africa.
His name was the “Djihadi pill” after finding that the authors of certain terrorist attacks had used it. On the battlefield, this helps to maintain energy, which is one of the reasons why it is so widespread. But users quickly become dependent and causes physical and mental health problems.
UN News: The Transitional Government of Syria has indicated that they do not tolerate this job, but your report shows that Syria is still a big center for Captagon. Who produces and sells?
Angela me: There is a lot of uncertainty around that. We see many major expeditions ranging from Syria, for example, Jordan. There are probably still shipping substances shipped, but we examine where production can move. We also note that traffic is developing regionally and we have discovered laboratories in Libya.
UN News: Given the big sums of money generated by drugs, are there still groups in Syria who wish to continue trade in the parts of the country they control?
Angela me: Certainly, and not only in Syria, but also in the wider region. These groups manage Captagon for a long time and production will not stop in a few days or weeks.
We help countries solve the problem from the point of view of organized crime, to understand the criminal groups involved, so that they can design answers and solutions: our research shows that there is not a single answer to dismantle groups.
We also help the police to connect with their peers in the region, because it is not a national problem. It is clearly a transnational problem that goes beyond the Middle East; We have seen Captagon traffic across Europe, for example.
Another way to support is to solve health related problems, to share proof -based treatment that can really help people recover from their dependence on the drug.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
