US, UK sanction 6 Syria-linked amphetamine traffickers

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. and U.K. say they have slapped sanctions on four Syrians and two Lebanese involved in manufacturing and trafficking the amphetamine drug Captagon. The six include cousins of Syrian President Bashar Assad and notorious Lebanese drug lynchpins, according to the government’s statements on Tuesday. Experts say Captagon is primarily produced in Syria and Lebanon, where packages containing millions of pills are smuggled into Gulf countries, Europe and elsewhere. The trade allegedly has strong ties to Assad and his associates, as well as key ally, the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in neighboring Lebanon. The U.K.‘s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said the Captagon industry is worth $57 billion to Assad.