Syria seizes more than 280kg of narcotics smuggled from Lebanon

In the Serghaya area of rural Damascus, Syrian security forces seized 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills after coming across an armed clash with smugglers trying to transport narcotics from Lebanon, according to Sana. The smugglers had opened fire on the security forces, who responded in kind, causing the criminals to flee towards Lebanese territory. The Syrian Border Guard Forces intercepted the operation and handed over the seized items to the appropriate authorities to initiate legal proceedings.

Last week, customs officials at the Jisr Qamar border crossing with Lebanon prevented another smuggling attempt, thwarting the movement of narcotics hidden inside a speaker. In early October, authorities also seized more than half a million Captagon pills at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, with the drugs originating from Lebanon.

Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like substance, was produced on a massive scale during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011. The substance became a crucial funding source for former President Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Since his downfall in December 2024, Syria's authorities have intensified efforts to combat the extensive illegal drugs network, conducting nationwide operations to dismantle illicit manufacturing sites and enhancing cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries.

Despite these efforts, the Lebanese-Syrian border remains highly porous, and smuggling activities involving people, goods, and narcotics continue to occur. The two neighboring countries have a complex relationship, having been linked by Syria's intervention in Lebanon during the civil war in 1976 and Syria's long-standing influence over the country. This influence included accusations of political assassinations carried out by the Assad regime.