Assad regime fall in Syria reveals large-scale production of illicit drug captagon

For years, Gulf countries battled the spread of captagon, a banned amphetamine popular in the region.

Industrial-scale factories near Damascus, uncovered after the regime of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, confirmed what analysts long suspected: Syria was the primary manufacturer and profiteer of the illicit trade. Production of captagon — costing just cents per pill to manufacture, but selling for up to $20 each — has collapsed, though experts warn it could shift to Iraq, Lebanon, or Turkey. Gulf nations are balancing punitive measures with treatment to reduce both supply and demand of drugs in the region.

Separately, Gulf and Arab countries are aligning efforts to support Syria’s victorious rebels in rebuilding the war-torn nation. Regional foreign ministers met in Jordan over the weekend to discuss reconstruction and Syria’s transition.