The Ministry of Interior foils an attempt to smuggle 25 million Captagon pills
The Ministry of Interior revealed the seizure of about 25 million Captagon pills intended for smuggling out of Syria during a security operation that it described as "an exceptional security achievement that is the largest at the internal and external levels."
"After several weeks of follow-up, a massive smuggling attempt of 25 million Captagon pills professionally hidden inside pottery containers for external shipping has been foiled," the ministry said in a statement published on its official identifiers on Wednesday (May 20th).
The Ministry stated that the Anti-Narcotics Department arrested all those involved in the network and the management of the facility, namely: (S.H.), (B.J.), (M.A.), (H.F.), (N.F.) and (R.N.), and seized all the means and logistical equipment used in the production lines and camouflage, and attached them to the case file in preparation for referring them to the judicial authorities.
The ministry stressed that the operation represents a "qualitative effort" that reflects the readiness of anti-narcotics cadres and their ability to track and thwart cross-border criminal activities, noting that work continues to dry up the sources of drug trafficking and enhance the protection of society and internal stability.
In its statement, the ministry did not mention the location or time of the seizure of the pills, and published camouflaged photos of the network's members and equipment and equipment used in the manufacture of Captagon pills.
1.730 million Captagon pills seized in coordination with Iraq
On Sunday, April 26, the Ministry of Interior announced the dismantling of an "international" drug smuggling network with a regional reach, the seizure of 1,730,000 Captagon pills intended for smuggling to a neighboring country, and the arrest of 8 members of the network, including a woman.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, the Anti-Narcotics Department carried out these operations in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs in Iraq, which resulted in the dismantling of a network that was active in smuggling large shipments of narcotic substances.
For its part, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior confirmed the implementation of a "qualitative" operation inside Syrian territory to dismantle an international drug smuggling network in joint coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Department in Syria, explaining that 4 suspects were arrested and 1,730,000 narcotic pills were seized.
Syrian-Turkish co-operation against "CaptaGun"
According to the "World Drugs 2025" report, issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), small smuggling networks that have existed since the era of the former regime still have huge stockpiles and seek to discharge them across borders, turning the phenomenon into one of the "most prominent security problems on Syrian geography" at this stage.
In the context of cooperation with Turkey to eradicate drugs, the security authorities in Syria and Turkey carried out a joint operation targeting a ship in the port of Latakia, on Saturday, April 25, 2026, which resulted in the seizure of 236 kg of marijuana that was carefully hidden inside one of the containers on board.
Investigations revealed that Turkish intelligence had been following the ship's route since its departure from the Southeast Asian region, and according to security information, the ship took a long route that started from Asia to the port of Alexandria in Egypt, and then continued its journey to the Lebanese capital Beirut, before reaching its last stop in the port of Latakia, where the cargo was scheduled to be unloaded.