Captagon: Syria’s Secret Weapon for Gaining Support from Arab States

Syrian President Bashar Assad has gained powerful leverage over his Arab neighbors with the help of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine produced in Syria. Arab states are willing to pardon Assad’s past actions and bring him out of pariah status if he aids in stopping the smuggling of Captagon out of the country. Western governments are frustrated by the progress that Arab countries are making with Assad, as it may undermine attempts to end Syria’s long-running civil war. Arab countries, however, demand that ending the Captagon trade is a significant priority due to the immense quantities smuggled out of Syria into places such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq for recreational use and to aid with physically demanding jobs. The United States, Britain and European Union have accused Assad, his family and Hezbollah, of facilitating and profiting from the drug trade, which has given Assad’s government billions of dollars at a time when the Syrian economy is struggling. Syria’s neighbors have been the most prominent consumer in the Captagon market. Stopping the trade has been a top demand of Arab countries.