Syria’s Ministry of Interior announced the seizure of more than 4mn of Captagon pills in the western city of Latakia, as part of a crackdown on drug trafficking. The shipment, intended for smuggling, was discovered hidden inside industrial equipment used for producing tahini, as reported by Enab Baladi on May 20.

According to Khaled Eid, head of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, the bust was based on “accurate” intelligence provided by unnamed sources. Specialised K9 units were deployed to track and raid the site, leading to the arrest of those involved and the confiscation of the equipment.

This operation follows a major joint effort, in which Syrian and Turkish authorities seized over 9mn Captagon pills in Aleppo’s countryside. Around 5mn of those pills had already been smuggled into Turkey, while the rest were prepared for export.

The ministry continues its campaign to tackle Syria’s deep-rooted drug trade, a legacy of the former regime. Captagon manufacturing and trafficking flourished under the previous leadership, with individuals close to Assad’s family – including Maher al-Assad, brother of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad – reportedly playing key roles.

Following the collapse of al-Assad regime, the scale of Captagon production and export declined. However, experts previously told Enab Baladi that the current government is not expected to gain full control over the trade due to its entanglement in wider international networks.

While the production and smuggling of Captagon may slow temporarily, experts warn that it is unlikely to stop entirely. Numerous small-scale laboratories in Syria and Lebanon remain operational, continuing to fuel the illicit trade.