Syria's long-standing ties to the drug trade, particularly the production of Captagon, have surfaced dramatically following the recent collapse of the Assad regime, highlighting the darkest aspects of Bashar al-Assad's administration.
After fierce fighting, rebel forces, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have begun to peel back the layers of Syria’s illicit drug networks. Reports have surfaced of extensive industrial-scale production and export activities connected directly to the regime. When the HTS fighters took control of several military bases across Syria, they unveiled warehouses hiding vast quantities of Captagon, concealed within everyday household appliances.
"We found a large number of devices stuffed with packages of Captagon pills meant to be smuggled out of the country. It’s a huge quantity. It’s impossible to tell," said HTS fighter Abu Malek al-Shami, as reported by AFP. This shocking discovery alludes to the scale at which the Assad regime allegedly managed its drug trafficking operations, fueling both local and international markets.
Captagon, long recognized as Syria's main narcotic export, has been linked to significant financial support for the Assad government throughout the country’s 13-year civil war. With the Syrian drug trade generated estimates of $5.7 billion globally by 2021, approximately 80% of Captagon pills consumed worldwide originated from Syria. Different networks, reportedly tied to government figures, have profited immensely from this illegal enterprise, raising concerns about the substance's impact on surrounding regions.
HTS’s operations recently turned to the outskirts of Damascus, where combatants uncovered numerous warehouses filled with Captagon pills - some packed within copper coils of voltage stabilizers and other devices. The operation starkly illustrated how Assad’s regime fundamentally changed industries from food production to drug manufacturing. According to sources, one of the discovered factories was previously used to produce snack foods before being repurposed for drug manufacturing under control of Amer Khiti, known to be linked to the Assad family.
British authorities recently sanctioned Khiti for "controlling multiple businesses in Syria which facilitate the production and smuggling of drugs," emphasizing the significant influence he wielded over the drug trade. Maher al-Assad, Bashar's brother also implicated, controlled military divisions involved with Captagon distribution, remaining largely elusive since the regime's collapse.
The impact of Captagon on Syrian society has been catastrophic, with overwhelming evidence of drug abuse spiraling out of control, particularly among youth. The drug has flooded the black market not only within Syria but across the Gulf states, contributing to rising public health concerns. Hesham Alghannam, research scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, articulates this relationship, stating, "Assad leveraged Captagon trafficking as a means of exerting pressure on the Gulf states."
With claims of Captagon being seen as the Assad regime's most lucrative export, many experts, including Caroline Rose from the New Lines Institute Captagon Trade Project, estimate profits from Captagon trafficking alone constituted $2.4 billion annually for his administration. This immense financial flow not only showcased the regime's willingness to finance its operations through the drug trade but also underlined the overarching issues injected directly by the rampant narcotization of society.
Despite the current violence and political upheaval, HTS fighters have vowed to dismantle this drug underworld, with al-Shami confirming their commitment to destroying the substances they discover. "We destroyed and burned it because it’s harmful to people. It harms nature and people and humans," asserted one HTS fighter reported by AFP, underscoring not just the focus on drug eradication but also the moral imperative driving their campaign against the former regime's networks.
During the tumultuous days following Assad’s fall, HTS sought control over Syrian territory, which placed them at the forefront of efforts to combat the very issues the regime used to sustain its power. Their discoveries of extensive drug manufacturing facilities serve as stark reminders of the lengths at which the regime went to maintain control, including facilitating drug abuse among neighboring states like Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Captagon has been weaponized as much as it has been abused, enhancing its role as both the root and result of years of struggles.
With operations intended to expose and eliminate this drug network, the HTS actions may signify new beginnings for Syria. This inflection point raises important questions for how the international community can respond and assist regions plagued by systemic drug trade issues introduced by the Assad regime’s policies. The road ahead may be arduous, but with the fall of one regime also signifies the potential for reconstructing and rethinking approaches to governance and public health across the region.
