Stockpiles of the amphetamine-like drug fenethylline, known by its brand name Captagon, were recently discovered by opposition forces in Syria in the wake of former president Bashar al-Assad’s fall from power, according to reports.
Experts say the illicit Captagon trade in Syria was highly profitable for the Assad regime and has reportedly been linked to Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad.
Rebel groups have been giving journalists access to various sites such as warehouses and factories in Syria, where they said they discovered the drugs following Assad’s ousting.
Footage captured by journalist Obada Jbara on Wednesday shows tablets, which look consistent with what the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime says is a typical Captagon tablet. Jbara told Storyful the footage was filmed on the outskirts of Douma, northeast of Damascus. Credit: Obada Jbara via Storyful
