The once-legal drug has now become one of Syria’s largest exports, with the drugs sector in the war-torn country being worth more than $10 billion, according to AFP.
Captagon is an amphetamine that was originally used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder. The nerve stimulant grew highly popular among Islamic State (IS) fighters over the last decade, and with the government probably complicit in its distribution, Captagon is the drug of choice for Syria.
Due to its unique logo, the medicine has gained the moniker “Abu al-hilalain” (two crescent moons) and is available for a few dollars In the market.
For the past decade, Syria has been at the center of a severe civil war, and with labor-intensive jobs dominating the market, demand for the pill has increased. The majority of Captagon users told AFP that they used it to combat weariness and enhance endurance in order to work for more hours every day.
The Syrian government under the direction of President Bashar al-Assad is primarily blamed for the distribution of Captagon. Assad’s brother Maher and the organization supported by Iran, Hezbollah, play significant roles in conducting the trade, according to sources who were formerly close to the regime.
The independent Center for Operations Analysis and Research and the British Army-affiliated CHACR research tank both made comparable charges (COAR). However, the drug trade has increased dramatically in Syria during the past ten years as practically all parties benefit financially from it.
