Syria seizes 250,000 Captagon pills in major drug bust

Syrian authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle over 250,000 Captagon pills that were set to be smuggled abroad, local media said on Wednesday.

The Syrian Drug Enforcement Administration seized 150,000 Captagon pills in northern Daraa in southern Syria that were planned to be smuggled to Jordan, the state news agency SANA reported.

Another 100,000 pills prepared to be trafficked abroad were also seized, it added.

SANA said legal action will be taken against those involved in the smuggling.

Last month, Syrian security forces destroyed large amounts of drugs seized from an intelligence headquarters of the deposed Assad regime.

Drug trafficking was a main source of finance for the Bashar al-Assad regime.

In January, Syrian security forces discovered drug warehouses used by the former regime for Captagon trafficking at the Latakia Port.

According to estimates by the British government, Assad was responsible for 80% of the global production of Captagon.

The global annual trade of Captagon is valued at $10 billion, and it is estimated that the overthrown Assad family earned nearly $2.4 billion annually from this trade.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.