Video reveals:

Assad got rich with this “drug kitchen”

After the secret tunnel system and bunker, drug production sites in Syria are now emerging that are believed to have served the regime.

(Bild: OSINT)

Syrian rebels have discovered a secret production facility for the "cocaine of the poor": videos from the Assad regime's "drug kitchen" have been making the rounds on social media - and provide an insight into the means by which the Assad family financed their luxury and the war.

A video published on social media on Wednesday purports to show an alleged warehouse in Syria filled with vast quantities of Captagon pills. The large building is reportedly located on the grounds of a military unit near Damascus commanded by Assad's brother Maher. However, the exact location of the building has not yet been independently verified.

"One of the largest production facilities"
A voice in the video comments that this is "one of the largest production sites for Captagon pills". Large quantities of pills can be seen, some of which are simply lying around on the floor, as well as equipment for manufacturing drugs.

If this discovery is independently confirmed, it would support claims by the United States and other countries that the Assad regime was actively involved in exporting the drug.

The Assad regime in Syria is said to have built up one of the most lucrative and dangerous drug markets in the world over the years. Captagon, known as the "cocaine of the poor", is said to have earned Bashar al-Assad's government billions every year and made Syria the global hub for exporting the drug.

Revenues flowed directly into the war chest in some cases
Captagon was long regarded as the backbone of Assad's "narco-state", in reference to the Mexican drug cartels. In 2021, Syria is said to have earned over 5 billion US dollars (around 4.6 billion euros) from exporting the drug.

The revenue flowed directly into the regime's war chest, controlled by Assad's brother Maher al-Assad and his fourth armored division - also known as the "Captagon Division". This division coordinated production and smuggling networks and imported raw materials from neighboring countries such as Iraq. The clan was also able to finance the immense luxury.

Drug swamp also spilled over into Europe
The drug not only reached the Middle East, but also Europe. In 2020, 84 million counterfeit Captagon pills were confiscated in Italy - a find worth one billion euros. The Gulf States also suffered greatly from the illegal trade, with Saudi Arabia accounting for half of all global Captagon seizures between 2012 and 2021.

Assad's fall causes production to collapse
The decline in Captagon production began with the increasing isolation of the Assad regime. The capture of Syrian production sites by Islamist rebels and the flight of the Assad family to Russia are said to have massively restricted production capacities. Western and Arab intelligence circles report that production has collapsed by up to 90 percent.

Nevertheless, new players could fill the gap: Militias loyal to Iran, particularly in Iraq and Lebanon, could resume production in order to secure revenue for their activities, according to security experts.

Captagon a lingering threat
Although the Assad era in Syria may be coming to an end, Captagon remains a threat. Experts warn of a possible revival of production by new actors, while the war and economic crises in the region continue to provide fertile ground for drug trafficking.