Four million Captagon pills have been confiscated by Syrian authorities after they were found concealed inside thousands of metal bars in the port city of Latakia, the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry said the pills had been “professionally hidden inside 5,000 metal bars” and were taken from warehouses. “The necessary legal procedures have begun," it added.
Latakia is in the coastal heartland of deposed president Bashar Al Assad’s Alawite minority. Under his rule, Captagon became Syria’s largest export during the country's civil war that began in 2011.
It has been manufactured in Syria for years, earning its producers hefty profits as it became one of the more popular recreational drugs among affluent youth in the Middle East and beyond.
Since Mr Al Assad’s downfall last December, Syria's new authorities have discovered millions of Captagon pills in warehouses and on military bases.
The problem of Captagon remains, particularly as drug gangs continue to benefit from its trade.
Syria’s self-appointed administration is led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a militant group that has a record of cracking down on the drug’s production and distribution.
During the advance on Damascus by HTS forces from their Idlib stronghold in December, fighters were filmed uncovering and destroying drug labs and stores of Captagon tablets.
Before the removal of the Assad government, HTS also took action to disrupt Captagon smugglers in areas under its control.
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