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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

Illegal drugs seized by Syrian border forces. Photo: Sana

Syrian authorities foil plots to smuggle 700,000 Captagon pills from Lebanon

MENAJuly 24, 2026

Police stand guard during a protest in Amman. Three personnel were killed in the raid in the east of the capital. Getty Images

Jordan sentences drug dealer to death for killing three security personnel

MENAJune 07, 2026

The aftermath of a Jordanian strike on an suspected drugs and weapons cache in the village of Arman, in Sweida, southern Syria. AFP

Jordan's air raids on Syrian border highlight emergence of new breed of drug smugglers

MENAMay 04, 2026

Police officers near the US embassy in Amman. EPA

Suspected drug dealer kills three Jordanian security personnel

MENAMarch 18, 2026

Drugs, cash and arms seized during a raid on a Captagon production lab in Tal Al Abyad, in the Baalbek region of Lebanon. Photo: Lebanese Internal Security Forces

Captagon lab raided by Lebanese authorities after Saudi tip-off

GulfJanuary 29, 2026

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

01:21

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

00:59

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

01:32

Inside Assad's multi-billion dollar Captagon factories

MENADecember 15, 2024

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