Syria has pledged to work to end drug trafficking across its borders with Jordan and Iraq. That reports news agency Reuters Monday after a meeting of the Arab League, which Syria was allowed to join for the first time in a long time. The Syrian regime has been profiting for years from the production and smuggling of the highly addictive drug captagon, much to the concern of the international community.
The foreign ministers of Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan met in the Jordanian capital Amman on Monday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a way to strengthen ties with Syria. In 2011, Syria’s membership of the Arab League was suspended. The member states did so because of the brutal actions of the Assad regime during the civil war.
In a statement, the officials say they have discussed coordinated efforts to combat drug trafficking across the Syrian border. Damascus pledges to “take necessary steps to end smuggling at the borders with Jordan and Iraq.” How they will do that is still unclear. Captagon was the economic savior for Syria after the country was isolated by the international community in 2011. Since then, the production and trafficking of the drugs has been a lucrative source of income for the Syrian regime.
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Captain
The captagon pills contain phenethylline, a stimulant that increases concentration, relieves anxiety and suppresses sleep. As a result, the substance – also known as the ‘jihad drug’ – is often used during wars and is known as a commonly used drug among jihadist fighters. In addition, over the years, the substance has become a popular drug among partying young people in the Gulf States.
Last year, the United States introduced the Captagon Act, which linked the trade to the Syrian regime and called it a threat to international security. Last week, the European Union sanctions to relatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for their alleged involvement in captagon production and trade.