Unveiling Syria's Hidden Captagon Empire

In the wake of the Assad regime's decline, evidence of Syria's vast captagon drug trade emerges. Associated with Maher al-Assad and the Fourth Division, the illicit production was exposed in facilities in Douma, revealing billions in global trade. Western governments impose sanctions on key players.

On the western outskirts of Damascus, an abandoned industrial-scale drug lab has been uncovered, shedding light on Syria's clandestine captagon trade. Allegations tie the operation to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, specifically to his brother Maher's Fourth Division.

This multi-billion-dollar trade, with its roots intertwined in Syria's wartime dynamics, has been associated with the Assad family, as claimed by Western governments. Notably, the hidden pills bear the 'Lexus' or double crescent logo, signaling export readiness, discovered amidst other exports and disguised within household items.

Regime change allowed unprecedented access to these sites, exposing the global network of chemical procurement from countries like Britain and India. The recent fall of Bashar Assad has led to the discovery and occasional destruction of drug caches, marking a new chapter in Syria's complex and lucrative drug saga.

(With inputs from agencies.)