Sharjah Police on Sunday announced that an attempt to distribute 3.5 million Captagon pills has been successfully thwarted.
The illegal stimulant pills, totalling about 585 kilogrammes, are believed to have a street value of Dh19 million. Their seizure came at the culmination of an operation known as Bottom of Darkness, the anti-narcotics department at Sharjah Police General Command said.
The force added that the operation was a pre-emptive strike against a criminal gang whose movements have been under close surveillance. The strike was launched in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Police’s Anti‑Narcotics Directorate and the Federal Anti‑Narcotics Department at the Ministry of Interior.
Police also urged members of the community to collaborate with the relevant authorities and to report any suspected drug-related activities, by calling 8004654 or e-mailing dea@shjpolice.gov.ae.
Regional drug fight
Countries across the Gulf have stepped up efforts to halt the smuggling of Captagon in recent years due to concerns over its widespread use.
Syria was the region's primary producer of Captagon until the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad in December, although he had denied his government's involvement. The new administration has pledged to crack down on the production and trafficking of the drug.
In 2021, it was estimated the Syrian government generated more than $5 billion from the Captagon trade. The drug is transported to some Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, leading to a string of high-profile seizures.
It said that between 2019 and 2023, about 82 per cent of the Captagon seized in the Middle East originated from Syria, followed by Lebanon at 17 per cent.
According to the New Lines Institute, a Washington-based think tank, the global Captagon market is worth about $10 billion a year, with 80 per cent produced in Syria before the fall of Mr Al Assad.
The cross-border flow of the narcotic has long been viewed as a major national security threat in the Middle East. Billions of dollars a year in Captagon have crossed from Syria into other Arab countries since 2018.
One pill costs as little as a few US cents to produce, but high-quality pills have sold for as much as $20 each in Arab countries.
