Captagon crisis: US Congress moves to crack down on Syria-linked drug trade


Ellie Sennett
  • English
  • Arabic

Members of the US Congress are increasing the pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to combat the Captagon trade in the Middle East, with a specific focus on the role of Syria.

The Captagon Act aims to develop an inter-agency strategy to “deny, degrade and dismantle [Syrian President Bashar Al] Assad-linked narcotics production and trafficking networks” and would require the co-ordination of the Departments of Defence, State, Treasury and other relevant federal agencies.

Captagon was first manufactured 60 years ago as an alternative to amphetamine and methamphetamine. It was used to treat narcolepsy and fatigue, and was frequently prescribed to US soldiers. The substance was banned in 1981.

Introduced by Congressman French Hill, a Republican from Arkansas, the bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in September and is expected to pass the Senate. If enacted, the law would create a road map for the creation of a more concrete US strategy on the Middle East's growing drug crisis.

Mr Hill told The National that Washington's response to Captagon had been "very siloed".

“The Captagon Act is a bill that asks the United States government to use an all-of-government approach … to think through how do we identify and interdict and stop the trafficking of Captagon and … cut off the funding as a result of Captagon to Al Assad's regime?”

A State Department representative told The National that the administration is working to combat narcotics trafficking through “multiple efforts including traditional law enforcement tools and capabilities”.

“Captagon trafficking remains a serious problem with significant impacts on the region and across the world that we take seriously,” the representative said. “The United States government has numerous authorities to designate those who lead, facilitate or are complicit in drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.”

Experts told The National that US leadership can foster real progress on regional efforts to fight the drug trade.

“This is an issue where the US has a lot of space for proactive action and success, as well as partners,” said Caroline Rose, senior analyst and head of the Power Vacuums Programme at the New Lines Institute, who co-authored a sweeping report on the Captagon trade.

“When I think about ways to address the Captagon issue, I think there are a lot of opportunities for the United States to really serve as a force multiplier in the region.”

Mr Hill agreed, and expressed confidence that, should the Captagon Act become law, Washington could make headway in combating the crisis.

The best way to stop this is to stop it early and cut off the head of the snake now
French Hill,
US congressman from Arkansas

“We could be that 'force multiplier' due to our knowledge of the banking system, our knowledge of surveillance, of marine and overland traffic, and work with our law enforcement partners, through Interpol, and other areas to interdict and disrupt this with the prime objective of stopping poisoning kids throughout Europe and the Middle East and cut off funding that's backing Al Assad's regime,” the congressman said.

Charles Lister, senior fellow and director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism Programmes at the Middle East Institute in Washington said the US was unlikely to be able to convince the Syrian regime to stop producing drugs and smuggling them around the world.

"But what we can do is force or coerce or encourage, particularly the Middle East, to come together and to discuss and to co-ordinate on this issue together," Mr Lister said.

Trade in the drug had an estimated value of $3.46 billion in 2020. Based on large-scale confiscations alone, the value of the retail trade appeared to explode in 2021 into an estimated $5.7bn.

But Mr Lister, who has researched Captagon extensively, said the true scale of trade could be as high as $30bn.

“That is 45 times the scale of Syria's entire legal export industry. There is literally no other part of the Syrian economy that matters now, other than Captagon.”

That rapid expansion and its links to the Assad regime have directly affected Washington's regional interests, said Mr Hill. The congressman highlighted concerns for the regional economy, as well as terrorist financing as key issue areas, but said he also fears the drug's geographic expansion into Europe.

“My concern is that Captagon is not long from our shores,” he said.

“It's fuelling terrorism in Syria, and we want to cut that money off. And we're fearful that the same burdens that families are facing in the Gulf region will spread to Europe and spread to the United States. And the best way to stop this is to … cut off the head of the snake now.”

Ms Rose said there is little evidence to support Mr Hill's concern that Captagon would make its way to the US on a meaningful scale anytime soon, but agrees that the trade's increased scale and recent geographic expansion throughout the Middle East and into the EU is a threat to American economic and anti-terrorism interests in the region.

Her report for the New Lines Institute detailed how production patterns have shifted in Syria from smaller, fragmented operations in rebel-held areas to larger, industrial operations in territories held by the Assad regime. Factions of the regime are “key drivers” of the drug's trade, with ministerial-level complicity in production and smuggling, as the trade is used as a means for political and economic survival amid international sanctions.

“The Assad regime plays quite a prominent role in the Captagon crisis, especially when it comes to production and smuggling inside of Syria,” Ms Rose told The National.

“With growing demand in the Gulf and abroad, [the Assad regime and its allies] really do have a cash cow that can serve as a very solid alternative source of revenue outside of some of the more traditional economic sectors in Syria.”

Ms Rose has called for a more robust international coalition to combat the trade and said the Captagon Act is an important first step.

“It sets the stage for the United States leading an initiative on this issue, and trying to encourage more cross collaboration and transnational attention on this issue with the coalition by first establishing that inter-agency process to monitor Captagon,” she said.

Mr Lister said a broader international response will not happen without leadership from Washington.

“Speaking to European officials on [Captagon], Europe is not going to take the first step unless the US is keen to do so. And whilst the Biden administration continues to kind of ignore this issue … I don't think we're going to get European engagement on it either,” he said.

Mr Hill, who has called the Assad regime in Syria a “narco state” on the House floor, tried and failed last year to put the bill into the US National Defence Authorisation Act.

He said that leaders in Washington working on this issue faced a “steep educational curve”, but have overcome that information gap in the last year.

However, Mr Hill is confident the Captagon Act will become law in 2022 with bipartisan support.

“While you can't be certain in politics or in parliamentary activities until something is complete, I believe there is a strong possibility that this language will be contained and signed into law before the end of the year.”

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'

Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

Five films to watch

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Only Yesterday (1991)

Pom Poki (1994)

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

HOW%20TO%20ACTIVATE%20THE%20GEMINI%20SHORTCUT%20ON%20CHROME%20CANARY
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The specs

Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel

Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power: 1877bhp

Torque: 2300Nm

Price: Dh7,500,00

On sale: Now

 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed PDK

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 820Nm

Price: Dh683,200

On sale: now

The Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include: 

  • Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
  • Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
  • Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
  • Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
  • Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES

Mar 10: Norwich(A)

Mar 13: Newcastle(H)

Mar 16: Lille(A)

Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)

Apr 2: Brentford(H)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

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RESULTS

6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko

7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill

8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara

9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

Brief scores:

Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37

South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62

Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Key developments

All times UTC 4

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

'Operation Mincemeat' 

Director: John Madden 

 

Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton

 

Rating: 4/5

 
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet

Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca

Updated: October 04, 2022, 6:58 AM`