What will happen to the £4 billion Captagon trade in Syria

Recently, after the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, millions of Captagon pills were burned at the Maza Airbase near the capital, Damascus.

Before this, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmad al-Sharh, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, had stated in his first speech after capturing Damascus that Syria had become the world’s largest producer of Captagon, and today, by God’s grace, Syria is about to be rid of it.

It is important to note that, according to estimates, 80% of the Captagon produced worldwide was manufactured in Syria under the command of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The production of Captagon provided the Syrian President’s regime with an annual revenue of $5 billion, which is why Syria was considered the hub of Captagon production.

What is Captagon

Captagon is the name of a drug used to treat a psychological disorder, developed in the 1960s.

These are addictive pills similar to amphetamines, often referred to as “poor man’s cocaine.”

Due to its harmful effects, most countries had banned it in the 1980s.

The production of this drug rapidly increased over time in Syria, as the country’s economy had been destroyed due to war, international sanctions, and large-scale emigration of Syrians abroad.

According to the World Bank, the value of Captagon production in Syria is estimated at $5.6 billion, or £4.5 billion.

Syria’s neighboring countries have faced difficulties in stopping the large-scale smuggling of Captagon.

Will al-Julani be able to control Captagon

The new Syrian leaders, who are increasing control over state institutions, seemingly know that a crackdown on the Captagon trade will send a positive message to neighboring countries.

However, ridding the country of this financially lucrative criminal enterprise will be a major challenge, as for many years the state itself had encouraged it.