Zelenskyy thanks Western partners for continued military aid

This story is about pills – lots and lots of pills. And it’s about how these illegal pills became Syria’s most lucrative export.

Captagon – from drug to illegal drug

The main character of this story is called Captagon – a drug that makes you psychologically dependent in a very short time. Captagon contains the drug fenetylline hydrochloride, which has a stimulant effect.

Captagon was originally a drug produced by the German Degussa Pharma Group in the 1960s and was used in ADHD patients. But as early as the 1980s, Captagon was criticized. The side effects like depression, hallucinations and anxiety are too strong.

Finally, in 1986, the drug fenetylline came under international control. As a result, most countries have restricted or even banned the use of Captagon altogether. The drug has not been produced by any country since 1987, only the remaining stocks were still being traded. A minor exception is Switzerland, which reported production of 6 grams of phenetylline in 2009, according to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

At least that applies to the official shares. Because Captagon hasn’t been forgotten since the 80s. Nota bene Captagon is nowadays produced illegally. The little pills, with the two intertwined C’s, are now considered one of the world’s most popular synthetic drugs and are often sold under the nickname “two moons” or “Lexus”.

In Saudi Arabia in particular, the drug is widely abused as amphetamine, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has reported for years. There, the drug is especially popular with young men – it is estimated that about 40 percent of all Saudi Arabian men under the age of 25 use Captagon.

The stimulant is taken by partygoers in the Middle East and Europe, as well as migrant workers in the Arab states and Africa, as well as terrorist fighters, militia officers and soldiers.

The pill is cheap to buy: They cost $5 to $25 per pill, writes Al-Jazeera. The only thing cheaper than buying the pill is manufacturing it: it should cost a few cents each. Producers and smugglers, most of whom are based in Syria, benefit from this.

The scene: Syria

For several years now, the drug has been manufactured almost exclusively in Syria. In fact, Captagon is now considered the impoverished state’s main export. “They throw one load after another,” a German detective told the magazine “Spiegel”.

A civil war has been raging in Syria since 2011 between President Bashar al-Assad and his allies, as well as various opposition and rebel groups. International sanctions and the fighting plunged the country into a deep economic crisis. But the income from the drug trade fills the financial gaps. A former adviser to the Syrian government told Agence France-Presse news agency (AFP):

As of 2013, counterfeit Captagon were being produced in many small drug kitchens around the villages of Kusair in western Syria. Meanwhile, real factories dominate Captagon production in Syria. Millions of pills are exported from there every year, with about a third going to Saudi Arabia.

In total, a delivery costs the dealers about 10 million dollars, which is why several manufacturers and dealers sometimes joined forces. The amount consists of the raw material, the transport and the bribe. But while the costs may seem so high at first glance, the profits are even higher.

A glimpse of the huge profit margin that can be made from the drug is provided by a Captagon shipment that was picked up in Naples in 2020: the Guardia di Finanza found 84 million tablets worth more than $1 billion – packaged in just one delivery. With the bet of one cent, the manufacturers make a profit of one dollar.

The pills are almost always shipped from Latakia, a port city in northern Syria that has been under the control of the Assad family since the 1980s.

Since Saudi Arabia in particular is a thorn in the side that Syria supplies the country with drugs on a large scale, the smugglers often make the detour via European ports to smuggle the drugs past the Saudi customs officers. An investigator from the Guardia di Finanza explained that European ships are not normally dismantled “down to the last screw” by the authorities in the Gulf states.

The role of the Assad family

The Arab news portal Al-Jazeera, among others, investigated the fact that the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad earned money from the drug cartels. The production and smuggling of Captagon washes a whopping $5.7 billion into the war coffers of the despot al-Assad and his allies, as the German “Spiegel” investigated. Other think tanks and secret services estimate the profits at tens of billions per year.

To put this in context: Officially, Syria had government revenues of $1 billion in 2017 and government expenditures of $3 billion.

This is also the reason why the government makes no effort to stop drug production. The Syrian leadership is probably knee-deep in the drug deals. The US government’s special representative for Syria, Joel Rayburn, even says, “You are the cartel yourself.” And he adds:

The extent of the Assad family’s involvement in the Captagon trade was highlighted at a trial that took place last summer in Essen, Germany. In 2020, a Captagon shipment of 2.1 million tablets worth $47 million was discovered there. Investigators then managed to locate the main logistics responsible for the seized drugs. His name: Iyad C.

C. used to work in the import-export trade in the port of the Syrian city of Latakia. By 2020, he was smuggling drugs from Latakia. In September 2022 he was sentenced to prison by the court in Essen.

During the court hearing, it was discussed that for every container of Captagon that C. shipped, about $ 360,000 in bribes had to be paid to the Syrian army. More specifically, the 4th Army Division commanded by the president’s brother, Maher al-Assad.

Maher seems to be a key figure in the Captagon smuggling anyway, according to months of research by “Spiegel” and the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”. Because the 4th Army Division had become “a kind of mafia conglomerate with a military wing”. They monitor transports and factories, check ports – and cash in, as sources had revealed. The German detectives have also found evidence that the president’s brother makes money from Captagon’s transports.

The Assad family is not only responsible for the transport, but also for the production of Captagon. The factory-like production halls around Latakia, Kardaha and Homs are run by several of Assad’s cousins ​​and other regime favorites, according to the “Spiegel”. A fugitive businessman told the German magazine: “They produced on an industrial scale.” The businessman’s statements were verified by a former Syrian drug detective, a commander of a regime militia and a security guard at the factory.

Maher’s role was also confirmed to AFP by a dozen sources. In addition, there was also talk about the fact that former Syrian intelligence officers and pharmaceutical industry insiders were involved in the production and trade of Captagon.

President al-Assad has denied all allegations that his government or family would benefit from the drug.

The “Mirror” summarizes:

Captagon as diplomatic bargaining chip

In May 2023 it became known: Syria returned to the Arab League – the association in which Arab countries strengthen relations or coordinate their policies. However, the foreign ministers of the member states set several conditions – one of which revolves around Captagon: Syria must curb drug smuggling to neighboring countries and other Arab states. In return, the Arab League would support the reconstruction of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Syrian regime has carried out some “cosmetic seizures,” as Caroline Rose, a Captagon researcher at the US New Lines Institute, called Syria’s high-profile actions against Al-Jazeera. But she doesn’t think authorities would hit the big brains behind the lucrative business, Rose said.

There are currently no concrete solution plans for how to stop production of Captagon in Syria. Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma tells Al-Jazeera that restoring legitimate trade and lifting sanctions are the only incentives for Assad to cut back on lucrative trade with Captagon. However, the West has repeatedly stated that this will not soon be the case due to the current situation in the country.