Captagon connection: How Syria became a narco-state
Captagon spawned an illegal $10 billion industry and is by far Syria's biggest export
A decade of appalling civil war left Syria fragmented and in ruins, but one thing crosses every front line: a drug called Captagon.
The stimulant – once notorious for its association with Islamic State fighters – has spawned an illegal $10 billion industry that not only props up the pariah regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but many of his enemies.
It has turned Syria into the world's latest narco-state and sunk deep roots in neighboring Lebanon as its economy has collapsed.
Captagon is now by far Syria's biggest export, dwarfing all its legal exports put together, according to estimates drawn from official data by AFP.
An amphetamine derived from a once-legal treatment for narcolepsy and attention disorder, it has become a huge drug in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia by far the biggest market.
‘I can work for days’
In Saudi Arabia, Captagon is often talked of as a party drug, but its hold extends far beyond the gilded lifestyles of the kingdom's wealthy elite.
Cheap, discreet, and less taboo than alcohol, many poorer Saudis and migrant workers go to work on the drug.
"I can work for two or three days non-stop, which has doubled my earnings and is helping me pay off my debts," said Faisal, who spends $40 a week on the pills.
Border barons, tribal networks
Hidden behind dark glasses and a mask in the middle of a vineyard in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, a fixer and trafficker told AFP how he organized the shipments.
"Four or five big names typically partner up and split the cost of a shipment of say $10 million to cover raw material, transport, and bribes," he said.
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"The cost is low and the profits high," he said, adding that even if only one shipment out of 10 gets through, "you are still a winner.”
"There's a group of more than 50 barons... They are one big web, Syrians, Lebanese, and Saudis."
While the Captagon trade spans several countries, many key players have tribal ties, particularly through the Bani Khaled, a Bedouin confederation that reaches from Syria and Lebanon to Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.