Iraq seizes one ton of captagon coming from Syria through Turkey

BAGHDAD,— Iraqi security forces have intercepted a shipment of more than a ton of captagon, a powerful illicit stimulant, that was smuggled from Syria through Turkey, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday.

According to ministry spokesman General Moqdad Miri, the country’s Narcotics Directorate confiscated a truck transporting 1.1 metric tons of captagon pills as it entered Iraq from Turkey.

The seizure amounted to approximately seven million tablets, making it one of the largest drug busts in Iraq in recent years, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The drugs were concealed within a shipment of ironing boards and had been transferred from a Turkish truck to an Iraqi vehicle near a border crossing, video footage released by the Interior Ministry showed.

Authorities did not disclose the exact number or nationality of those arrested but confirmed that multiple suspects had been detained in connection with the smuggling operation, Miri said. He added that the bust was carried out with assistance from security forces in the Kurdistan Region, which shares a border with Turkey.

The operation was also facilitated by crucial intelligence provided by Saudi security forces, according to Miri.

Captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant, has become a major concern in the Middle East, with Syria emerging as a key hub for its production and distribution. The drug trade flourished during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011.

Iraq and its neighboring countries, particularly Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have stepped up efforts to curb drug trafficking. In 2022, Iraq reported the seizure of six million captagon pills.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted in 2024 that Iraq had seen a significant rise in both smuggling and usage over the previous five years.

A UNODC report highlighted that in 2023 alone, Iraqi authorities confiscated a record 24 million captagon tablets, weighing more than 4.1 metric tons and valued between $84 million and $144 million on the black market.

Between 2019 and 2023, Syria was the source of approximately 82 percent of the captagon seized in the Middle East, while Lebanon accounted for 17 percent, the report stated.

Despite recent efforts by new authorities in Damascus to crack down on the industry—including the reported destruction of 100 million captagon pills—smuggling networks remain active, a diplomatic source familiar with the issue said.

“Lower-level traffickers are adapting to changing political and security conditions, ensuring that the trade continues,” the source noted.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that production and trafficking of captagon are still ongoing in Syria, with several manufacturing facilities believed to be operational.

(With files from AFP)