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Damascus Seizes 50,000 Captagon Pills Bound for Saudi Arabia

Captagon dealers arrested in Damascus; pills destined for smuggling to Saudi Arabia (Syrian Interior Ministry)
Captagon dealers arrested in Damascus; pills destined for smuggling to Saudi Arabia (Syrian Interior Ministry)
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Damascus Seizes 50,000 Captagon Pills Bound for Saudi Arabia

Captagon dealers arrested in Damascus; pills destined for smuggling to Saudi Arabia (Syrian Interior Ministry)
Captagon dealers arrested in Damascus; pills destined for smuggling to Saudi Arabia (Syrian Interior Ministry)

Syrian officials have confiscated 50,000 Captagon pills hidden in fabric cushions in Damascus's Al-Qadam district.
The Drug Enforcement Branch of Damascus made the discovery, according to a statement from the Syrian Interior Ministry shared on social media.
The pills were meant to be smuggled into Saudi Arabia, the ministry reported.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the case, and they will face legal action after being presented to competent judicial authorities.
Brig. Gen. Sami Darwish reported that one suspect was caught with the drugs and confessed to working with two other accomplices. These accomplices were later arrested in Jaramana and Al-Marja.
Hours before the Captagon seizure, the Damascus Criminal Security Branch arrested members of a network involved in drug trafficking and counterfeit currency.
The Interior Ministry said the arrests followed a thorough investigation and surveillance operation.
In a well-coordinated sting in the Al-Zahira district, three suspects were detained while traveling in a public vehicle.
Authorities seized 41 bundles of hashish and $1,000 in counterfeit bills. The suspects admitted to running a drug trafficking ring and distributing narcotics across provinces with the help of several accomplices who remain at large.
In Damascus’ Keshkoul area, three suspects were arrested with a firearm, Captagon pills, and a motorcycle. Police also found about 7,000 Tramadol pills at their homes. The search for additional suspects is ongoing.
The fight against drug trafficking is a major concern for Arab nations, along with refugee returns and political solutions.
Over the past two years, Syria has prevented several drug smuggling attempts, but the US and Western countries accuse the Syrian government of aiding drug trafficking, which they say threatens regional security.
Damascus has rejected claims of involvement in Captagon production and trafficking, citing its commitment to international drug control agreements, including the 1961 Convention, the 1971 Psychotropic Substances Convention, and the 1988 UN Convention on Drug Trafficking.

 

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LF Organizes National Conference to Outline ‘Roadmap to Save Lebanon’

The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
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LF Organizes National Conference to Outline ‘Roadmap to Save Lebanon’

The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)

The Lebanese Forces party has called for a national conference to address the Israeli war on Lebanon.

The conference, which will take place at the party’s headquarters in Maarab, aims to establish a political framework to halt the war, in cooperation with Arab nations and the international community, according to sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The sources said invitations have been sent to opposition parties, independent MPs, and national figures, though key groups such as Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and the Marada Movement have not been invited.

They also noted that the goal is to “create a roadmap to rescue Lebanon from the destruction caused by its involvement in the conflict and to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people, who have endured violence, displacement, and destruction.”

The conference will emphasize the need for peace, prosperity, and the reconstruction of Lebanon, reflecting the will of the majority of the Lebanese population who feel powerless in the face of ongoing turmoil, the sources stressed.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a source within the LF said that the party has remained “strategically silent out of respect for the war’s victims” but now believes it is time to speak up. The party’s leader, Dr. Samir Geagea, will outline key solutions, including an immediate ceasefire, full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the urgent election of a president. These proposals are intended to appeal to both domestic and international audiences, including Iran and Israel, according to the same source.

The call for a conference follows an earlier initiative by opposition MPs, including those from the Lebanese Forces, which called for the Lebanese state to reclaim control, distance Lebanon from regional conflicts, and commit to a ceasefire and the full implementation of international resolutions. However, that initiative did not yield significant results.

While there are no guarantees that the Maarab conference will lead to immediate solutions, the source in the LF said that the party is determined to push forward, pointing that a follow-up committee will be formed to engage with political forces in Lebanon and key international stakeholders, including the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.