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          Captagon

          Captagon is a highly addictive drug sweeping the Middle East. The amphetamine has been associated with the war in Syria, and it has led to a crackdown by officials in the Gulf

          The National

          Shadi's take on Syria's efforts to tackle drug smuggling

          CartoonDecember 02, 2025
          Security troops dispose of more than 18 tonnes of cannabis, 205,000 drug pills, and other narcotics confiscated by the Specialised Criminal Prosecution and security units in Sanaa, in July. Reuters

          Donkeys and drones: How Yemen is turning into a drug transit hub

          MENANovember 29, 2025
          Syrian police burn illegal drugs in Damascus on February 25. Building on such seizures and co-operating with neighbouring states are vital to undoing the damaging legacy of the country’s narcotics trade. EPA

          Syria's drugs trade won't be stopped overnight

          EditorialOctober 24, 2025
          Pills, chemicals and machines were seized during a Lebanese army raid on Captagon manufacturers near Baalbek. Photo: Lebanese Armed Forces

          Lebanon seizes 64 million Captagon pills in one of biggest drugs busts yet

          MENASeptember 17, 2025
          Drugs and equipment were seized in July's raid on a Captagon factory in Yammouneh, about 25km from Baalbek. Photo: Lebanese Army

          Iraq-Lebanon security co-operation led to raid on major Captagon lab

          MENAAugust 19, 2025
          Captagon pills seized at the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2023. Photo: Saudi Customs Authority

          Saudi Arabia seizes 1.5 million Captagon pills hidden in tables

          MENAMay 22, 2025
          Imad Abu Zureiq, centre in right image, was welcomed to the presidential palace by Ahmed Al Shara. Photo: SANA / AFP

          Captagon smuggler welcomed by regime in Syria despite crackdown

          MENAMarch 30, 2025
          Syrian police destroy seized Captagon pills at the headquarters of the fourth division in Damascus in February. EPA

          Syria cracks down on smuggling with massive haul of seized Captagon pills

          MENAMarch 23, 2025
          Syrian police check seized drugs as they prepare to burn them in Damascus on February 25. Captagon has been manufactured in the country for years, earning its makers hefty profits as it became one of the more popular recreational drugs among affluent youth in the Middle East. EPA

          Crackdowns alone won't solve Syria's Captagon problem

          EditorialMarch 18, 2025
          Captagon pills found in a military compound in Damascus on January 7. The drug has been produced in Syria for years. AFP

          Iraq confiscates 1.1 tonnes of Captagon pills shipped from Syria

          MENAMarch 16, 2025
          The pills were hidden inside fake fruits and electrical devices. Photo: Matt Kynaston/The National

          Inside Assad's multi-billion dollar Captagon factories

          MENADecember 15, 2024
          Billions of dollars a year worth of Captagon have crossed from Syria into other Arab countries through Jordan since 2018. AFP

          Captagon flows that enriched Assad regime come to 'near-full halt'

          MENADecember 09, 2024
          In August 2023, Jordanian authorities put drugs and weapons taken from criminal gangs in Amman and northern governorates on display to the public. Photo: Jordan Public Security

          Jordan intercepts millions of Captagon pills bound for Saudi Arabia

          MENAJune 05, 2024
          Fighters affiliated with Syria's Hayat Tahrir Al Sham rebel-group display Captagon previously seized at a checkpoint they control in Daret Ezza, Aleppo. AFP

          Captagon trade allows Syria to ride out spillover from regional war

          MENAApril 24, 2024
          A Syrian protester holds a banner reading 'Suweida will remain the beacon of the Syrian revolution' during a demonstration in solidarity with the anti-government movement in the southern province. EPA

          Syria's civil war: How an ambush in 2011 influenced the conflict

          SyriaMarch 17, 2024
          Captagon pills seized at Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port, hidden in a baklawa shipment. Photo: Saudi Customs Authority

          Jordan and neighbours to share information on drug smuggling

          MENAFebruary 18, 2024
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