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TIL about Captagon, an illegal drug primarily produced in Syria and shipped to the Gulf states. The scale of the Captagon market is estimated by some to be three times the combined trade of the Mexican cartels.
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TIL: Captagon Drug Trade Outpaces Mexican Cartels by 3×
Damascus/Gulf Region, July 2025 — Today in “Today I Learned” (TIL) headlines: the Captagon trade—an illicit amphetamine-based stimulant almost exclusively produced in Syria—is now estimated to be worth up to $57 billion annually, making it three times larger than the combined operations of the Mexican drug cartels
The Numbers Behind the Surge
- Up to 80% of the world’s Captagon is reportedly manufactured in Syria, often under the oversight of high-ranking officials like Maher al-Assad and the Fourth Armored Division oneroinstitute.org+9en.wikipedia.org+9en.wikipedia.org+9.
- Conservative estimates place the annual illicit Captagon market between $5.7 billion to $57 billion, surpassing Mexican cartel revenues, which hover between $5–21 billion thesoufancenter.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5vice.com+5.
How It Operates & Where It Goes
- Packs of fake fruit, household goods, and industrial equipment from Syria are regularly used to smuggle Captagon to Gulf destinations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq en.wikipedia.org+15en.majalla.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15.
- Seizures in 2021 alone exceeded 250 million pills globally—18× more than in 2017—a sign of both dramatic growth and the sheer volume moving through the region en.wikipedia.org+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
State-Backed “Narco‑State”
- Syria’s leadership has leveraged Captagon revenues to bolster its military and economic standing amidst crippling sanctions—earning the country the label of a “narco‑state” vice.com+11en.wikipedia.org+11newyorker.com+11.
- Funds from the trade have supported Syrians in the military, security apparatus, and allied militias mei.edu+10thesoufancenter.org+10yorkpoliticsreview.co.uk+10.
Why This Matters
- Global drug economics: The Captagon trade isn’t just regional—it now eclipses one of the largest drug cartels globally.
- Security implications: Massive profits fund arms, militias, and border corruption, while trafficking routes threaten Gulf and MENA stability.
- Regional public health crisis: Beyond fueling war, Captagon’s addiction and psychosis effects pose growing health threats across populations.
Bottom Line
The Syria-Captagon network, exploiting industrial scale, strategic smuggling, and state complicity, has grown into a multi-billion-dollar illicit empire far loftier than Mexico’s cartels. Experts warn that tackling it demands international coordination—from Gulf nations to European ports and global enforcement efforts.
Key recent coverage on Captagon’s global impact
