Inside Syria's Captagon empire: Syrian regime's survival through Captagon trade and its regional impact

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Amid the ruins of the Fourth Division's former strongholds in the Syrian army, once commanded by Maher al-Assad, lies a seemingly tranquil villa in Al-Dimass, near the Lebanese border. 

A serene façade featuring a swimming pool, art, and statues conceals a much darker reality: a hub of illegal activity resembling the dens of global drug lords.  

Within the villa, a hidden section houses a fully operational Captagon production lab. 

A 100-square-meter room in the villa contained a mixer, pill-production machinery, and raw materials capable of generating billions for the regime, offsetting international sanctions and making Syria a rare international case where a government supports illicit trade instead of combating it.

The Assad regime's Captagon network extended far beyond Syria's borders. 

Initially, drugs were smuggled into the Gulf states via Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon, ultimately reaching the Gulf states through partners and traders aligned with the regime. To avoid raising suspicion, Syria exported the drugs from Lebanon, labeling them as Lebanese products, sometimes sending them to third-party countries before reaching their final destination in the Gulf.

Captagon was often disguised as Lebanese exports like fruits, vegetables, and industrial machinery. This tactic led to notorious cases, such as Captagon pills hidden in shipments of pomegranates and lemons, intercepted in Lebanon, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.  

The scale of this trade prompted Saudi Arabia to impose a ban on Lebanese agricultural imports, citing the recurring drug smuggling incidents. 

While the Assad regime reportedly earned around $2.5 billion annually from the Captagon trade, Lebanon suffered significant economic and reputational damage.  

With the fall of the Syrian regime, the Captagon trade faces significant disruption. 

However, experts in drug control emphasized to LBCI the urgent need for Lebanon to clamp down on this trade. They recommend heightened border inspections to prevent the transfer of Captagon manufacturing equipment and raw materials to its territory. Strict border controls and monitoring of materials that could be used in Captagon production are crucial, particularly those that might be imported under the guise of legitimate industries. 

Additionally, these experts advocate for enhanced coordination between Lebanon and drug control agencies in Syria and other Arab countries. 

International agencies like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) should lead investigations to identify and prosecute individuals involved in this cross-border trade. Freezing the financial assets of those complicit could be a decisive step toward dismantling this network.  

The collapse of the Assad regime presents a unique opportunity to dismantle the Captagon industry and its associated networks.