Kuwait seizes $485m of pills in 'biggest drugs bust in its history'

Kuwait has made history with its largest drugs bust to date, seizing nearly $500 million worth of a medication that has gained popularity as a party drug. The impressive haul consisted of five million tablets and nearly four million capsules, according to Sheikh Fahad Al Yousef, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Lyrica, the drug in question, is a brand of anxiety and epilepsy medicine known as pregabalin. When used recreationally, it can produce effects similar to alcohol consumption.

The magnitude of the bust was highlighted during a drug prevention event, where Sheikh Fahad announced that authorities uncovered a factory producing Lyrica and equipment used to prepare capsules. The haul was valued at 150 million Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to $485 million. This operation marks a significant effort to combat the growing threat posed by these substances, which are often disguised in capsules for easier distribution.

Lyrica, or pregabalin, has legitimate medical uses. Doctors may prescribe it to control abnormal brain activity leading to seizures, block chemicals causing anxiety, or alleviate nerve pain associated with diabetes and shingles. However, the medication has also emerged as a sought-after recreational drug in the Middle East. In 2023, Kuwait seized 15 million illegally obtained pills from a farm near the Saudi border.

UAE police have also intercepted drug dealers offering Lyrica through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, alongside other controlled substances such as hashish and crystal meth.

In a bid to strengthen their efforts against drug trafficking, Kuwait recently enacted a new drugs law, which the minister claims has become a deterrent for drug dealers. Kuwait, like many Gulf countries, is actively combating a range of narcotics, including Captagon, a widely used amphetamine. In February, authorities in Kuwait and Iraq jointly seized over 300,000 Captagon pills in a joint operation.

Additionally, Kuwait collaborated with the UAE in another operation, which resulted in the seizure of more than 14 million Captagon pills hidden within sacks of corn during a sea voyage.