Saudi authorities seizes Captagon drugs worth millions of dollars

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have foiled a smuggling bid of the addictive drug Captagon into the Kingdom, confiscating more than 300,000 pills.

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) thwarted five different attempts to smuggle a huge cache of drugs, worth millions of dollars, into the Kingdom through the Al-Haditha border crossing, local media outlets reported.

The authorities in Saudi Arabia confiscated a total of 313,906 Captagon pills, arresting several suspects involved in drug smuggling.

With the help of cutting-edge security technology, ZATCA uncovered the pills concealed in various locations within vehicles and trucks.

According to details, at least 86,000 pills were hidden under a smuggler’s clothing, whereas 65,116 pills were stored inside a truck cabin refrigerator and 52,907 pills were stashed on the floor of a vehicle.

Additionally, Saudi authorities confiscated around 55,232 pills concealed within a vehicle’s fuel tank, and 4,651 pills were discovered inside a spare tyre compartment.

ZATCA called on the public to play a role in combating smuggling by reporting any suspicious activities, assuring them that all the reports related to smuggling or violations of the unified customs law are handled with the utmost confidentiality.

ZATCA also promised financial rewards for individuals who provide accurate information about drug smuggling.

According to a report by Reuters, curbing the Captagon trade has become a key demand by Arab states seeking to restore ties with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, whose government is accused of benefiting from the trade.

As early as 2014, Syria was thought to be a major producer and consumer of the drug.

Intelligence sources based in the region say Captagon is still produced in small factories along the Syrian-Lebanese border as well as larger ones closer to Syria’s frontier with Jordan. Some quantities are also produced in Lebanon, according to security sources.

The United States, Britain and European Union have blamed Syria’s government for the production and export of the drug, naming Maher al-Assad – the head of the army’s Fourth Division and the president’s brother – as a key figure.

Pinning down the trade’s value is difficult but diplomatic sources say it is worth several billion dollars a year. The United States, the European Union and Britain have accused the Fourth Division and other Syrian officials of benefitting from the trade, but it is not clear to what extent, if any, it fills state coffers.

What is Captagon

Captagon was the brand name of a stimulant first produced in Germany in the 1960s to help treat attention deficit disorders, narcolepsy and other conditions.

It was discontinued but an illicit version of the drug continued to be produced in eastern Europe and later in the Arab region, becoming prominent in the conflict that erupted in Syria following anti-government protests in 2011.

The illicit version is thought to be made of a mix of fenethylline, caffeine and other fillers. It generates focus and staves off sleep and hunger.

In 2021, Saudi Arabia put in place an import ban on all Lebanese products over drug smuggling and the issue has become a top concern for Arab countries seeking a solution to Syria’s war.