Syrian, Iraqi Forces Dismantle Cross-Border Captagon Network
Rizik Alabi / The Media Line
[DAMASCUS] In a joint security operation described as a high-profile example of intelligence cooperation, Syrian and Iraqi authorities announced the dismantling of an international network that specialized in drug trafficking and the seizure of a large quantity of Captagon pills. Estimated at approximately 1.73 million tablets, they were intended to be smuggled across borders to neighboring countries.
The media office of the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that the operation was the result of joint intelligence coordination between the relevant agencies in both countries, following careful monitoring that lasted for a period and included tracking the network’s movements and activities within Syrian territory and beyond.
The ministry indicated that units from the Anti-Narcotics Department carried out a series of simultaneous raids at several locations in the Damascus countryside and Homs province, areas believed to have been used as centers for storing narcotics and preparing them for smuggling.
The operations resulted in the seizure of the entire shipment, in addition to the arrest of eight individuals suspected of involvement in the network, including a woman.
According to preliminary information, the dismantled network is involved in cross-border trafficking that relies on multiple routes to transport narcotics between more than one country, taking advantage of interconnected borders and the difficulty of monitoring in certain areas.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed its participation in the operation through the exchange of intelligence information and coordination of field efforts, noting that this cooperation directly contributed to identifying the network’s locations, dismantling it completely, and thwarting the attempt to smuggle the seized quantity out of the country.
Security authorities in both countries explained that the operation was the result of long-term joint work, which included close monitoring of the network’s movements and members, as well as tracking its financing and distribution routes, enabling simultaneous strikes that brought its activities to an end.
This development comes amid escalating regional security efforts to combat drug trafficking, particularly Captagon, which has seen widespread proliferation in the region in recent years.
Several countries are working to enhance security cooperation and exchange information in order to curb the activities of international networks operating in this field.
The relevant authorities confirmed the continuation of coordination between Damascus and Baghdad to track any potential extensions of the network and pursue other possible suspects inside and outside the country’s borders, as part of a broader strategy aimed at dismantling organized smuggling networks and cutting off their sources.
Photo Credit: A joint Syrian and Iraqi security operation dismantled a drug-smuggling operation. April 26, 2026. (Ministry of Interior)
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