Captagon Trade After Assad: Threat Transformed, Not Ended
Captagon Trade After Assad: Threat Transformed, Not Ended
Captagon Trade After Assad: Threat Transformed, Not Ended
Read my latest with Roaa Obaid on the captagon threat after Assad’s downfall for the New lines Institute
• 200M pills seized in 4 months after Assad’s fall vs 10M throughout 2024.
• The HTS‑led interim gov under Al‑Sharaa has launched high‑profile busts & pledged a zero‑tolerance narcotics policy.
• Yet no producers or smugglers arrested → supply chains & expertise still intact.
• Expect fragmentation: rogue labs, rising prices, spillover, and potential methamphetamine substitution.
• The captagon threat is far from over, but it’s transforming considerably.
• Helping the Syrian state combat the threat should be a top priority.