Authorities in Syria and Iraq have confiscated 2.5 million captagon pills following a coordinated anti-narcotics operation in both countries, the Syrian interior ministry announced on Thursday.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that the joint operations led to the arrest of two individuals in Syria and one in Iraq. The ministry described the successful raids as “the result of systematic intelligence work” between Damascus and Baghdad.
The arrests in Syria occurred in the governorates of Homs and Rural Damascus, while the third was made within Iraqi territory.
Syrian state media outlet SANA reported the operation as a “major bust” that “disrupted the network’s operational and logistical capabilities” by severing one of its primary trafficking routes.
Captagon, a potent synthetic stimulant, became a significant export from Syria during the conflict that began in 2011, serving as a key source of funding for the former government of Bashar al-Assad. The new authorities have since reported several large seizures of the drug, though neighboring countries continue to intercept major shipments.
