Regardless of the present authorities’s hostility to the commerce, the nation stays a hub for the manufacturing and distribution of the drug.
Through the nation’s long-running civil warfare, the Assad regime was hit by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, and the commerce in Captagon is believed to have introduced in billions of {dollars} for the dictator and his allies.
The nation’s angle in the direction of the commerce modified markedly after the autumn of Assad in December 2024, and the rise to energy of a transitional authorities led by members of the Islamist group HTS and comprising members of lots of Syria’s ethnic teams. The present administration has pledged to disrupt the provision chain and has demonstrated this by publicly destroying giant portions of seized Captagon.
1000’s of individuals gathered in Damascus on Friday to have a good time the autumn of the Assad regime.
Nevertheless, the latest version of the World Drugs Report, launched by the UN Workplace on Medication and Crime (UNODC) on 26 June, warns that Syria stays a serious hub for the drug, regardless of the crackdown.
Forward of the launch, Angela Me, the pinnacle of social affairs at UNODC, talked to UN Information in regards to the continued use of Captagon within the area,
Angela Me: Captagon is a stimulant, just like methamphetamine, which is taken as a tablet, and for a few years it has been the primary drug of concern within the Gulf state and elements of North Africa.
It was referred to as the “Jihadi tablet” after it was discovered that the perpetrators of some terrorist assaults had used it. On the battlefield it helps to take care of vitality, which is one motive it’s so widespread. However customers rapidly turn out to be dependent, and it causes bodily and psychological well being issues.
UN Information: The transitional authorities of Syria has indicated that they don’t tolerate this commerce, however your report exhibits that Syria continues to be an enormous hub for Captagon. Who’s producing and promoting?
Angela Me: There’s a number of uncertainty round that. We see a number of giant shipments going from Syria by way of, for instance, Jordan. There are most likely nonetheless shares of the substance being shipped out, however we’re the place the manufacturing could also be shifting to. We’re additionally seeing that the trafficking is increasing regionally, and we’ve found labs in Libya.
UN Information: Given the big quantities of cash generated by medication, are there nonetheless teams in Syria that want to keep it up the commerce within the elements of the nation they management?
Angela Me: Undoubtedly, and never solely in Syria, but additionally within the wider area. These teams have been managing Captagon for a very long time, and manufacturing will not be going to cease in a matter of days or even weeks.
We’re serving to nations to deal with the issue from an organised crime perspective, to grasp the legal teams concerned, in order that they’ll design responses and options: our analysis exhibits that there’s not one single response to dismantle the teams.
We additionally assist legislation enforcement to attach with their friends within the area, as a result of this isn’t a nationwide downside. It is clearly a transnational downside which works past the Center East; now we have been seeing Captagon visitors by way of Europe, for instance.
One other approach we will help is by addressing the health-related points, sharing evidence-based remedy that may actually assist folks to recuperate from their dependence on the drug.
