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Health

What is Captagon, the addictive drug mass-produced in Syria?

Captagon Syria Arab League Bashar alAssad Jordan Gulf United States Damascus Hezbollah

A Saudi customs officer opens imported pomegranates, as customs officials foil an attempt to smuggle more than five million Captagon pills they said came via Lebanon, at Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia in 2021 [File: Saudi Press Agency via AP]

Captagon has featured large in regional diplomatic discussions as some Arab countries look to normalise relations with Syria.

The addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant mass-produced in Syria and smuggled to the Gulf states seemed to be a bargaining chip for President Bashar al-Assad in talks on reinstating Syria’s Arab League membership as nations looked to curb the illicit drug trade.

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