Captagon Drug Networks Adapt and Survive in Middle East After Assad’s Fall

The report outlines ongoing Captagon trafficking despite disruptions, noting large seizures in 2024–2025 and a shift in availability and pricing in markets like Jordan and Lebanon. Experts highlight potential shifts of production closer to European hubs to improve resilience and profits, with labs identified in Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, Germany, and expanded activity in Iraq. Authorities reported dismantling a methamphetamine/Captagon lab in Sulaymaniyah (2024) and a clandestine lab in Lebanon’s Hermel area, while uncertainty remains over who might reestablish large-scale production.