What happens to Assad's fall with the Captagon trade?

What happens to Assad's fall with the Captagon trade?

The illegal drug trafficking is booming in Syria-what happens now with the Captagon empire?

The world looks spellbound on Syria! After the fall of Bashar al-Assad through the opposition, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), international reporters were invited to visit the shocking inventory and secret production facilities of the highly addictive drug capagon. A drug empire that flourished for over a decade and brought Syria the reputation of a "Narco state"!

The al-Assad government was repeatedly accused of being the driving force behind the Captagon trade-a drug that is particularly popular in the wealthy golf states, such as Saudi Arabia. The profits from this business were of crucial importance for the dilapidated state finances that suffered from sanctions and the war.

a new course under HTS

under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, HTS shows that they want to break with drug trafficking in Syria. Caroline Rose, an expert in Syrian drug trafficking, explains: "HTS and Julani try to distance themselves from the Captagon trade." This can be seen in the numerous raids against regime-connected institutions and in Julan's statements about the dark history of the Al Assad government in the drug business.

But the question remains: What happens to the Captagon business now when al-Assad is no longer in power? HTS plans to suppress industrial production and encourage Syrians to participate in the legal economy. But will that be enough to stop drug trafficking?

The dark story of the Captagon

Captagon, originally developed in the 1960s by the German Degussa Company, was initially used to treat sleep disease and ADHD. But the UN restricted sales in 1986 after the dangerous side effects such as anxiety and depression became known. Nevertheless, Captagon quickly became a popular leisure drug in the Middle East, which conveys a feeling of euphoria and vigilance.

in Syria, where a flourishing pharmaceutical industry once existed, the country developed into the largest production facility for Captagon. The civil war, which broke out in 2011, led armed groups to take control of production. However, the AL Assad government used its recapture tactics to bring the smuggling routes and production facilities into their possession.

The values of the confiscated deliveries amounted to an incredible $ 5.7 billion in 2021 - a multiple of the legitimate exports of Syria. Maher al-Assad, Bashar's brother, was identified as one of the main professionals who benefited from securing deliveries.

The question remains: Is this the end of the Captagon trade? Experts are skeptical. Even if the HTS tries to contain drug trafficking, demand will not disappear. Instead, the trade could simply be shifted to other places.

"The drug dealers will look for new transit and production locations that are less risky," warns Rose. The so -called "balloon effect" shows that when the drug trade is suppressed in one place, it reappears in another place. Where is Captagon next produced? The answer remains uncertain, but the shadows of drug crime already run across the Middle East and beyond.