Syrian authorities seized 350kgs of hashish, 2 million Captagon pills since start of 2016

Since the beginning of 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA]in Syrian Interior Ministry has seized around 350 kilogram of hashish plus 2 million Captagon pills.

These numbers were unveiled by the DEA during a lecture held last Wednesday in the Cultural center in Mazzeh district in Damascus, according to the Damascus-based al-Watan newspaper.

The paper reported that the DEA confirmed that the role of woman in smuggling and conveying drugs remarkably reduced in the past two months.

It quoted Chairman of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation Ahmad al-Bakri as saying: “After more than five years of crisis, Syria is still among the countries that do not produce drug….The amount of the drugs that enter the country is not clear as some areas  are under the control of armed groups.”

Al-Bakri stressed that the armed groups, which control some border points, facilitate drug smuggling into the country.

“Drugs pose threat to the society because they lead to the spread of corruption and moral decline, especially among the young persons,” he said, indicating that 80% of Syrian youths, aged 15-20, are being targeted for drug abuse.

In 2013, around 267 kgs of hashish and 6million Captagon pills were seized in Syria, while the number of causes related to drug crimes reached up to 2433.

Basma Qaddour