Civil war turns Syria into major amphetamines hub

Captagon trade generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues in Syria, while the drug itself helps combatants weather grueling battles
Haaretz (Israel)
January 12, 2014

captagon-seizureSyria has become a major amphetamines exporter and consumer as the trauma of the country's brutal civil war fuels demand and the breakdown in order creates opportunity for producers. Drugs experts, traders and local activists say Syrian production of the most popular of the stimulants, known by its former brand name Captagon, accelerated in 2013, outpacing production in other countries in the region such as Lebanon. Reports of seizures and interviews with people connected to the trade suggest it generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues in Syria.