Syria seizes more than 280kg of narcotics smuggled from Lebanon

Syrian security forces have apprehended over 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills after a violent encounter with smugglers attempting to transport the narcotics from Lebanon, according to Sana. The Syrian Border Guard Forces intercepted the operation in the Serghaya region of rural Damascus, following a shootout with the smugglers. The captured drugs were subsequently turned over to the appropriate authorities for legal proceedings.

Earlier this week, customs officials at the Jisr Qamar border crossing thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics concealed within a speaker. In early October, authorities seized more than half a million Captagon pills at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, also originating from Lebanon, reported Sana.

Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like substance, was widely produced during Syria's civil war that began in 2011, serving as a significant revenue source for President Bashar Al Assad's regime. Since his downfall in December 2024, Syria's authorities have intensified efforts to combat the illicit drugs network, conducting nationwide operations to dismantle manufacturing sites and enhancing cross-border cooperation with regional neighbors.

While Syria has shifted from being labeled as a "Captagon hub" and a "source of threat," the Lebanese-Syrian border remains highly porous, and the smuggling of people, goods, and narcotics continues unabated. The two neighboring countries share a complex relationship, shaped by Syria's intervention in Lebanon during the civil war in 1976 and its long-standing control over the country.

Despite allegations of political assassinations perpetrated by the Assad regime during its tutelage, both nations continue to face challenges in curbing the illicit drug trade along their shared border.