Four million Captagon pills have been confiscated by Syrian authorities after they were found concealed inside thousands of metal bars in the port city of Latakia, the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry said the pills had been “professionally hidden inside 5,000 metal bars” and were taken from warehouses. “The necessary legal procedures have begun," it added.
Latakia is in the coastal heartland of deposed president Bashar Al Assad’s Alawite minority. Under his rule, Captagon became Syria’s largest export during the country's civil war that began in 2011.
It has been manufactured in Syria for years, earning its producers hefty profits as it became one of the more popular recreational drugs among affluent youth in the Middle East and beyond.
Since Mr Al Assad’s downfall last December, Syria's new authorities have discovered millions of Captagon pills in warehouses and on military bases.
The problem of Captagon remains, particularly as drug gangs continue to benefit from its trade.
Syria’s self-appointed administration is led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a militant group that has a record of cracking down on the drug’s production and distribution.
During the advance on Damascus by HTS forces from their Idlib stronghold in December, fighters were filmed uncovering and destroying drug labs and stores of Captagon tablets.
Before the removal of the Assad government, HTS also took action to disrupt Captagon smugglers in areas under its control.
Exclusive investigation: Captagon smuggler welcomed by regime in Damascus despite crackdown
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Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
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