Massive captagon bust in Lebanon targets Syria-linked traffickers — The details

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate conducted a major operation targeting captagon trade in the Bekaa region’s Yammoune. Photos released show 239 bags containing 50 million captagon pills, which were being prepared for export to a Gulf country.  

The directorate acted on intelligence about a warehouse owned by two Syrian traffickers, Amer al-Sheikh and Abu Khaled al-Absi, in Yammoune.

The raid uncovered 8.5 tons of captagon, valued at approximately $2 billion, along with quantities of cannabis and machinery used in drug manufacturing.  

The shipment reportedly originated in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime through smuggling routes, with production allegedly backed by regime officials. The drugs were transported to Lebanon for storage and repackaging before being smuggled to their final destinations.  

The two traffickers are notorious figures in the drug trade. Amer al-Sheikh is regarded as one of the most dangerous and influential drug traffickers in the Middle East, with strong security ties in Syria and other countries. 

He holds forged passports and is a key figure in captagon production, with Gulf countries as his primary market. Security reports also link him to a February 2024 case involving the smuggling of one ton of cocaine through a Syrian port, part of which reached Lebanon. Al-Sheikh is reportedly connected to a vast network of Syrian and Lebanese partners, some of whom are in custody.  

Walid al-Absi, also known as Abu Khaled Hassan al-Absi, is another prominent captagon trafficker, heavily involved in smuggling operations between Syria, Turkey, and Gulf nations.  

This is not the first time the Lebanese Army Intelligence has intercepted large captagon shipments. The Assad regime and its Fourth Division, along with their collaborators, have turned Lebanon into a key transit hub for smuggling to Gulf countries. 

In a previous operation, intelligence forces thwarted an attempt to conceal massive quantities of captagon in hollowed-out pipes intended for export.  

In addition to targeting manufacturing and storage operations, the army continues to combat local distribution networks. In a recent operation, it arrested a gang in Nahr el-Mot after they opened fire on an army patrol.