Captagon, a highly addictive stimulant, flows illegally from the Middle East to Africa and vice versa, with 80% of seizures since 2019 listing Syria as the country of origin, according to the Bureau.
But a year after the regime change in the country, large-scale manufacturing of this synthetic drug was disrupted, according to a new research report by UNODC.
“As the drug market has grown in recent years, it has divided the region, but the need for action is now bringing it together,” said Bo Mathiasen, UNODC’s director of operations, adding that countries now share intelligence and conduct joint operations, leading to “record” seizures this year alone.
Millions of tablets
Since December last year, Syria has dismantled 15 industrial-level laboratories and 13 smaller storage facilities, according to the research report. However, captagon manufacturing will likely continue in the Middle East.
Before December 2024, daily production in Syria could have reached millions of tablets. Stocks from previous production could maintain supply for a few years if not intercepted.
The UNODC says an increased ban over the past year may have somehow reduced the quantities of captagon on the market, with prices now higher in some Gulf countries, as well as countries neighboring Syria.
But traffickers have diversified their delivery strategies and are using new methods to move drugs across the region’s land borders, such as balloons and drones.
Joint efforts
The memo highlights renewed efforts toward regional cooperation against captagon production and trafficking, including through shared intelligence and coordinated responses.
Countries are still compiling the cumulative volume of seizures made on their territory, but individual cases documented so far by UNODC suggest that since December 2024, at least 177 million tablets have been intercepted in the Arab region. This is equivalent to 30 tonnes of captagon.
“This demonstrates that political will and international cooperation can disrupt even the most complex illicit criminal economies,” Mathiasen said.
The current disruption of captagon, however, could prompt drug dealers and users to turn to methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. The document therefore recommends a global approach including the prevention and treatment of drug addiction.
A broader UNODC report on the synthetic drug market in Arab countries is expected to be finalized in June 2026.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
