Syria’s Captagon industry stalls one year after regime shift

Shafaq News – Damascus

Large-scale production of the synthetic drug Captagon in Syria has been significantly disrupted one year after the country’s regime change, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

In a recent brief, the agency reported that Syrian authorities dismantled 15 industrial-scale Captagon laboratories and 13 smaller storage facilities since December 2024, estimating that before that period, daily production in Syria might have reached millions of tablets, and cautioning that stockpiles from earlier output could still sustain regional supply if not intercepted.

Gulf countries continue to serve as the primary destination for Captagon trafficking. Since December 2024, UNODC confirmed the seizure of at least 177 million tablets—roughly 30 tons—across the Arab region.

According to the brief, trafficking networks have adjusted their operations, shifting routes and relying on diversion or repackaging points, including through Western and Central Europe and North Africa.

UNODC said regional cooperation intensified in 2025, with expanded intelligence sharing and coordinated operations resulting in several major seizures.

Read more: Captagon Empire: How Syria fuels a $2B regional drug trade