Click to see the full-size image
The supply of the well-known Syrian drug, Captagon, almost stopped, with the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Historically, it has been sold all over Asia. The main distribution channels were established through Lebanon and, to a lesser extent, Iraq. A significant share was sold in countries on the Arabian Peninsula. Captagon was once dubbed ‘the magic potion of jihadi fighters’, as Islamic State fighters were found to take the substance before going into battle. It increases the body’s stamina and makes it possible to go 24 hours without sleep. It also dulls the sense of fear, and when a person is in the required mood, it evokes incredible cruelty and ferocity.
Captagon is a narcotic psychostimulant drug widely used in the Middle East. It is essentially a prodrug of amphetamine (an active stimulant) and theophylline (a weak stimulant related to caffeine). A prodrug is a chemically modified form of a medication that is converted into another substance after it has been metabolised in the human body. Thus, Captagon is converted in the human body into amphetamine and theophylline. These substances have a stimulating and invigorating effect on the central nervous system by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine that is available in the brain. As a result, a person experiences a rise in strength and energy, and a feeling of euphoria, joy and fearlessness. The drug is addictive and has a devastating effect on the human body.
Captagon is manufactured in the form of tablets, the cost of which varies greatly depending on the ‘purity’ (from 1 to 25 US dollars).
Earlier, Israeli and the US media claimed that the Assad clan was the main Captagon drug cartel in the Middle East. The export of this drug, according to them, was the main item of Damascus’ foreign trade revenue. The Syrian Captagon trade turnover was estimated at up to $50bn. Production of the drug is an uncomplicated and cheap technological process. The profit margin is much higher than, for example, the profits from the production of heroin and crystal methamphetamines. It could almost be compared to the profit from printing dollars.
The drug was marketed as a supposedly safer analogue of amphetamine. It was precisely for organising the manufacture of Captagon that several members of the Assad family came under international sanctions in March and April 2023. Restrictions were imposed against Samer Kamal al-Assad, Wassim Badi al-Assad and Maher al-Assad, as well as several other individuals close to the president’s family. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan (the main markets for Captagon) have repeatedly expressed their displeasure with this national Syrian ‘product’.
Samer Kamal owned a manufacturing facility in the coastal city of Latakia. The factory produced 84 million Captagon tablets in 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department stated.
As for sanctions against Maher al-Assad, they were motivated more by political reasons than by involvement in the production and distribution of Captagon.
Captagon exports from Syria have collapsed in recent weeks. Sources in the region say logistics have been disrupted and supplies are almost non-existent. The price of the drug has skyrocketed.
It remains unclear how the HTS leadership will deal with this ‘export’. ISIS has welcomed the production, use and sale of Captagon. Al-Qaeda has either banned or condemned it. The Turks welcome any business in controlled areas that can bring good profits. The leaders of the ‘new Syria’ will have to make a very difficult choice between continuing the tradition of the previous regime and cracking down on the production and distribution of the drug.
For now, the Latin American and Central Asian (Afghan) cartels can celebrate a tactical victory in the competition for the black market in drugs.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
