Syria declares shift from 'Captagon hub' to drug combat partner

Syria marked the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday by declaring its transition from a "Captagon hub" to a "partner in combating" the drug trade. The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the country is entering a new phase focused on dismantling drug production and smuggling networks.

SANA stated that since the fall of the former government in December 2025, Syria has been working to combat drug trafficking. The agency cited the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as confirming the disruption of large-scale Captagon manufacturing in Syria following the former regime's collapse. According to SANA, the Syrian government has dismantled 15 Captagon manufacturing facilities and 13 smaller storage sites since December 2024.

The UNODC's 2026 report also noted that the disruption in the Captagon market after the former regime's fall led to increased pill prices in some areas, with a warning that users might turn to other synthetic drugs like methamphetamine. Coinciding with the international anti-drug day, Syria's Interior and Health ministries launched a national campaign titled "Syria Without Drugs."

Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid, head of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, described the campaign as a national project based on scientific plans, balancing deterrence and treatment. "The user is viewed as a victim who requires care, while the dealer and smuggler are treated as perpetrators of a crime that requires punishment," he said. Eid acknowledged the "complex reality" faced by the Interior Ministry, including local manufacturing and distribution networks targeting young people, necessitating stronger security controls, tighter border oversight, and advanced anti-narcotics technology.

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The user is viewed as a victim who requires care, while the dealer and smuggler are treated as perpetrators of a crime that requires punishment.