The synthetic drugs market in the Near and Middle East remains dynamic, following disruptions in the supply of “captagon”.
The Near and Middle East accounted for 77 per cent of global “captagon” seizures in 2020–2024, with production mainly in the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon and trafficking directed mainly toward countries in the Arabian Peninsula, although there are also indications of use of the drug in some North African countries. Shipments to final destination markets were both direct and indirect, the latter by way of Europe and also by way of countries in North and West Africa.
The change of government in the Syrian Arab Republic in late 2024 resulted in a profound change in the “captagon” market. According to the country’s authorities, 16 laboratories, mostly of industrial scale, have been dismantled in the country, as have 15 facilities for storage. This, in combination with stocks released on to the market, led to a strong increase in “captagon” seizures reported from Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring Lebanon in 2025.
With the decline of “captagon” production in the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon, there is a risk of “captagon” production moving to other countries in the region and beyond. In addition, the supply of methamphetamine has expanded in South-West Asia and a market for this drug is increasingly showing signs of taking hold in the Middle East.
