Syria, under President Bashar al-Assad, has become the world’s largest producer of Captagon, a synthetic drug popular in the Gulf, particularly among affluent youth in Saudi Arabia. Franceinfo has reported on a previously used chip factory transformed into a Captagon production site, revealing extensive operations and hidden distribution methods. The industry is estimated to generate upwards of $10 billion annually, significantly eclipsing Syria’s legal exports. As new governance emerges, rebel leaders express differing views on how to handle the drug trade, with the intent to eliminate production met with concerns over potential public health consequences.

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