Assad's Fall Exposes Syria's Billion-Dollar Captagon Drug Empire

The ousting of Bashar al-Assad reveals the industrial-scale production and trafficking of the addictive stimulant Captagon, which fueled Syria's war economy and global drug trade.

Rebel forces uncovered massive Captagon stockpiles and production facilities in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024.
The Assad regime allegedly generated billions annually from Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like drug, making it Syria's most lucrative export during years of economic collapse and sanctions.
Key production sites included a potato chip factory near Damascus, military bases, and other clandestine facilities, with evidence tying Assad's family and allies to the trade.
Captagon was smuggled across borders and disguised in goods like fruit, electronics, and construction materials, targeting markets in the Gulf and beyond, including Europe and Southeast Asia.
The new transitional government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has vowed to dismantle Syria's Captagon trade, though experts warn the demand and trafficking networks may persist elsewhere.