UN: Captagon smuggling continues in Syria even after Assad's fall

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned against continued manufacture and export of Captagon in Syria, emphasizing that the nation remains a major hub of trade irrespective of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The UN report further reported that the actual magnitude of the trade remains unknown, contrary to the reports of its prevalence in the region and the production of new labs in neighboring countries.

26 June, 2025 17:16

NEWS DESK

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's World Drug Report reported that despite the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Syria continues to serve as a key drug production and distribution hub.

Angela Me, the director of social affairs in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said, "There is much doubt over the issue of drug production in Syria." She continued, "We are seeing large shipments coming from Syria, via Jordan, for example."

She added, "There may still be stockpiles of this material being shipped out of the country, but we are investigating where production may be headed." She continued, "We are also seeing regional expansion in trafficking, and we've located labs in Libya."

To a question about whether in Syria there are still groups that still want to go on with business in Captagon, the UN representative testified that in fact there are such groups, saying, "Not only in Syria, but across the region. These groups which have been running the Captagon trade for years and years won't be able to cease producing it in weeks or days.".

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ANHA