Following the push for normalization with the Assad regime, there has been an increase in the reported number of captagon seizures in the country.

But the average size of seizures is on the decline, signifying a desire to show more action, although the overall amounts seized increased only slightly.

Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, the average size of a seizure over 2020–2024 is 4.9 million pills. It is only 700,000 in regime-held Syria (14% of the Saudi total).

More on the recent global trends and policy implications will be discussed in my forthcoming report with Caroline Rose.