Captagon Drug Trade Fuels Conflict Across Middle East: Report

A new war is brewing in West Asia on the Syria-Jordan border against Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like drug. It's become popular across classes and borders, used by taxi drivers, students, militia fighters and even high-powered executives to stay awake, work long hours or simply escape stress, The Wall Street Journal reported. This booming drug trade, now worth billions, is deepening the region's troubles, funding conflict and weapon purchases, and posing a serious security threat for neighbouring countries.

Captagon production and trafficking have become a lifeline for Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, which has turned to the drug trade to ease the economic toll of years of sanctions. Iran-backed militias, including Hezbollah, are reportedly also profiting from the drug trade, using the proceeds to buy weapons. While Syria denies any involvement in drug trafficking, a report from the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks estimates that the Assad regime made an annual average of around $2.4 billion from captagon sales between 2020 and 2022, nearly a quarter of Syria's GDP.

The US officials warned that the captagon trade was disrupting stability in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, two key American allies. Jordan has responded by deploying about a third of its army to curb the flow of drugs and weapons from Syria. Smugglers use various methods, including hiding the pills in trucks, drones and even catapults that hurl the drugs over the border walls, to transport captagon.

Earlier this year, one of the deadliest incidents linked to the captagon trade occurred when explosions destroyed a house in the village of Orman, near Syria's border with Jordan. Ten people, including five women and two children, died in the blast. Syria accused Jordan of carrying out the airstrikes, a rare cross-border move for the Jordanian military. Jordan, which has declined to comment on the incident, later stated it would continue to combat drug and weapons smuggling at the border.

Violence at the border has intensified to the point that Jordan's military has adopted a shoot-to-kill policy for those trying to cross illegally. Surveillance footage, shown to reporters, reveals Syrian soldiers ignoring smugglers just a few steps away. Smugglers even use unconventional methods such as homing pigeons to carry small amounts of crystal meth across the border.

In response to the growing crisis, the US has imposed sanctions on several people linked to the production and trafficking of captagon. In mid-October, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned three individuals allegedly involved in the drug trade supporting the Assad regime and Hezbollah. One was the owner of a factory that reportedly shipped pills worth over $1.5 billion to Europe, hidden in paper rolls.

The Captagon Act, signed by President Joe Biden in December 2022, outlines the US strategy to fight drug smuggling by building partnerships with Middle Eastern law enforcement agencies. So far, the US has refrained from sending troops to the region, but it does supply Jordan with surveillance equipment, satellite-guided bombs and training for border forces.

Captagon use has spread across the Arab world, with users often pairing it with crystal meth and ketamine. Its presence has even reached ports in Europe, with large seizures made in Italy and Greece. Experts warn that these networks are slowly expanding into Europe and may eventually reach North America. 

The captagon crisis is increasingly seen as both a public health and security threat, with Jordan and other neighbouring countries under pressure to curb the flow. Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi recently met with President Assad to discuss the rising threat of drug smuggling, though results have been limited. Jordan's anti-drug department has already reported a 24% increase in drug-related arrests from last year.

“Captagon is their cocaine,” said Oscar D'Agnone, a drug addiction expert in London. This lucrative trade, often compared to a shadow economy, shows no signs of slowing down, and its far-reaching impact is troubling for both regional stability and the well-being of communities across the Middle East.