SYRIAN rebels have uncovered and destroyed Assad’s vast drug operation that was pumping out the highly addictive, psychostimulant drug Captagon.
The spectacular fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has unveiled dark secrets of his rule – including the gargantuan-scale export of the illegal drug that turns terrorists into “zombies”.
Led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the victorious rebels say they uncovered the vast haul of drugs and vows to destroy all of them.
Captagon is a co-drug of amphetamine and theophylline that has flooded the black market across the Middle East for decades.
The pills enhance dopamine production in the body – making drug-fuelled fighters feel euphoric and unstoppable.
Captagon transformed Syria into the world’s largest narco state, becoming Syria’s biggest export.
Assad’s regime used the trade of Captagon to exert pressure on the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, using the threat of drug-fuelled unrest, experts claim.
This was to allow tyrant Assad to keep his position after over a decade of conflict, securing concessions from the Arab world.
Rebels showed AFP into a warehouse at a quarry on the outskirts of Damascus, where the illegal Captagon pills were being hidden discreetly inside electrical components for export.
In a dingy underground garage below the warehouse, thousands of the pills were packed into the copper coils of brand new household voltage stabilisers.
One of the fighters that gave the tour, wearing a balaclava, said the group found “a large number of devices” stuffed with Captagon in “a huge quantity”.
He added that it’s “impossible to tell” just how many were set to be smuggled out of the country.
Back upstairs in the warehouse, multiple crates of cardboard boxes were stood ready to be shipped off, disguised as standard goods.
In another shock discovery, caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide, was identified in sacks at the warehouse.
This is a key ingredient in the making of methamphetamine – more commonly known as meth – suggesting the production of illegal drugs extended drastically further than just Captagon.
The sacks of the substance were supplied from Saudi Arabia, according to their labelling.
Smaller stashes of Captagon were also found in military facilities, with a bonfire of the pills found at the Mazzeh airbase which are now in the hands of HTS fighters.
Off-brand Viagra and forged $100 bills were also discovered at a ransacked air force site, sitting among other illegal exports created under Assad’s regime.
The two fighters believe the warehouse is linked to Assad’s brother Maher and Syrian politician Amer Khiti.
Since 2011, Maher has been dubbed Assad’s “enforcer” – siding the tyrant in orchestrating the major government crackdown in March that year.
Maher was head of the Republican Guard – which was responsible for the defence of the Damascus, as well as the Commander of the elite Fourth Armoured Division.
As the commander of the Fourth Armoured Division, he directly involved himself in the production, trafficking and export operations of Syria’s multi-billion dollar drug empire, smuggling mostly Captagon.
Maher looked to reintegrate Syria into the Arab world which would have secured concessions, allowing Assad’s regime to keep its position after over a decade of conflict.
Maher’s elite Fourth Division, Air Force Intelligence and the Republican Guard have been relied on for the production and distribution of Captagon, according to COAR.
Local militias and foreign armed groups of various affiliations were also counted on for its vast distribution, reports claim.
It was evident to the US and UK just how advanced the network was, leading to sanctions being imposed on certain Syrian individuals involved in the trade in March 2023.
The US Department of Treasury accused Maher and his Fourth Division of financing “illicit revenue-generation schemes, which range from smuggling cigarettes and mobile phones to facilitating the production and trafficking of Captagon”.
And Syrian politician Khiti too was placed under sanction the same year by the British government which said he “controls multiple businesses in Syria which facilitate the production and smuggling of drugs”.
The Syrian regime denied involvement in the drug’s production and distribution to the Gulf states.
One of the HTS fighters said at the drug site: “As we entered the area we found a huge quantity of Captagon.
“So we destroyed it and burned it. It’s a huge amount, brother.
“We destroyed and burned it because it’s harmful to people. It harms nature and people and humans.”
Captagon is a drug that was originally used as medicine in the 1960s, containing a mix of substances – amphetamine and theophylline.
Doctors used to prescribe it to help people with conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy because it helps them stay alert and awake.
But it was later banned as people started to misuse it and could get addicted to it.
In recent years Captagon has become well-known in the Middle East, where it is often bought and used illegally.
People take Captagon because it makes them feel very happy, more awake, and less tired.
This has made it popular among soldiers in war zones, who need to stay alert and active for long periods.
The illegal making and selling of Captagon is a big problem for cops and health workers.
The drug is often made in secret labs, which makes it hard to control.
These illegal versions can be very strong and may contain dangerous substances, which can harm those who take it.
To fight against Captagon, countries are working together to stop the illegal trade and to help people who are addicted.
