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07:48 POLITICS

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Syrian rebels vow to destroy Assad's drug empire

2025-01-07 21:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The drug 'captagon', known as the 'poor man's cocaine', provided benefits worth billions of dollars a year to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Voice of America correspondent Joan Cabasés Vega reports that now, the rebels who ousted him from power have dismantled the state factories that produced the drug. They have vowed to completely destroy what they call Assad's drug empire.

About 20 kilometers northeast of Damascus, the road leads to the remote area of ??Douma where one of the factories is located.

The factory, which previously produced potato chips, was used by President Bashar al-Assad's regime to produce 'captagon', the drug often called the 'poor man's cocaine'.

"The Assad clan was the biggest drug producer in the world," says Basel, a rebel from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group who declined to give his last name.

This rebel group overthrew Assad and is now in power.

Inside some electrical boxes, he discovers hidden stashes of the amphetamine-like drug, ready for export.

"All the captagon hidden here is the responsibility of Maher al-Assad, Bashar's brother. They hid the drugs inside these electrical devices. They usually put up to two kilograms of captagon in each device and then sent them to different countries around the world."

Experts say the captagon trade became an important method of securing revenue for the Assad regime, helping to cushion the impact of international sanctions. The drug trade generated roughly $2.4 billion in annual profits for the Assad family, according to the New Lines Institute.

In the factory, the tools and chemicals used to produce 'captagon' are still visible. Boxes filled with this drug are scattered everywhere along with packaging materials to disguise the drug trade. 'Captagone' was also often smuggled inside orange juice cartons, electronic components and even high-end furniture.

Rebels say workers set fire to the factory before fleeing, likely in an attempt to destroy evidence.

They say they have discovered up to 160 similar factories across Syria. They also found documents detailing trading activity, including buyer details listing countries, companies and individuals. In 2023, the British government estimated that 80 percent of the world's supply of captagon came from Syria.

Now, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels say the time has come to end drug production in the country.

They say that selling drugs to finance activities does not match their values./voa