UAE Authorities Intercept Massive Amphetamine Shipment Worth Billions: Captagon Seizure

Police in the United Arab Emirates have confiscated 13 tonnes of amphetamine pills that were smuggled inside furniture. The drugs, known as Captagon and valued at over $1 billion, were discovered after authorities became suspicious of a shipping container. In a video released by Dubai police, officers are seen opening wooden panels and doors where they found 86 million pills hidden. Captagon, often called "the poor man's cocaine," is a popular drug among young people in the Gulf. While the origin of the illegal shipment was not mentioned, it is believed that Captagon is produced in large quantities in Syria. During the country's civil war, armed groups supplied the drug to fighters as a way to boost their courage. The illegal Captagon trade, worth billions of dollars, has allegedly involved ordinary Syrians due to deepening poverty. Reports have linked influential figures in business and the military to the manufacturing and distribution of Captagon, despite denials from the Syrian government. The Dubai police conducted a major operation and seized the 13 tonnes of pills stored in five shipping containers. Video footage released by the police showed the tracking of the containers, monitoring of suspects, and the dismantling of doors and panels to access the narcotics. According to Maj Gen Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, the head of the police's anti-narcotics department, an international gang planned to ship the drugs to the UAE and then transport them to another country. The seizure is believed to be one of the largest ever intercepted. In other incidents, Italy seized 14 tonnes of Captagon pills hidden in drums of paper and gear wheels in 2020, and last year Saudi Arabia seized 46 million amphetamine pills concealed in a flour shipment.