Captagon, a highly addictive stimulant, has been circulating illegally from the Middle East to Africa and back with 80 per cent of seizures since 2019 indicating Syria as the country of origin, according to the Office.
But one year post-regime change in the country, the large-scale manufacturing of the synthetic drug has been disrupted, according to a new research brief by UNODC.
“While the drug market expanded in recent years it divided the region, but the need for action is now bringing it together,” said Bo Mathiasen, UNODC Director for Operations, adding that countries are now sharing intelligence and running joint operations, leading to “record” seizures this year alone.
Millions of tablets
Since December last year, Syria has dismantled 15 industrial-level laboratories and 13 smaller facilities for storage, according to the research brief. Manufacturing of captagon, however, is likely continuing in the Middle East.
Before December 2024, daily production in Syria could have been millions of tablets. Stocks from previous production could sustain supply for a couple of years if not intercepted.
UNODC says an increased interdiction during the last year may have somehow reduced the quantities of captagon in the market, with prices now higher in some of the Gulf countries, as well as in countries neighbouring Syria.
But traffickers have diversified their routing strategies and are using new methods to move drugs across land borders in the region, such as balloons and drones.
Joint efforts
The brief highlights renewed efforts towards regional cooperation against captagon production and trafficking, including through shared intelligence and coordinated responses.
Countries are still compiling the aggregated volume of seizures made in their territories but individual cases documented by UNODC so far suggest that since December 2024, a minimum of 177 million tablets have been intercepted across the Arab region. That is equal to 30 tonnes of captagon.
“This demonstrates that political will and international cooperation can disrupt even the most complex illicit criminal economies,” Mr. Mathiasen said.
The ongoing disruption of captagon, however, may shift traffickers and people who use drugs toward methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. The brief, therefore, advocates for a comprehensive approach including drug prevention and treatment.
A wider UNODC report on the synthetic drug market in Arab countries is expected to be finalised in June 2026.
