Syria condemns EU sanctions over amphetamine business

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria has condemned the European Union’s new sanctions on Damascus over making and trafficking an amphetamine, saying the move was based on lies. The Foreign Ministry’s statement Tuesday came a day after the EU imposed sanctions on several Syrians, including members of President Bashar Assad’s family, blaming them for the production and trafficking of narcotics, notably Captagon. The ministry said the EU is “repeating its lies” adding that such sanctions help block the flow of aid, medical equipment and food products into Syria. It called the sanctions “unilateral and illegitimate.” The bloc’s Syria sanctions now include 322 people and 81 entities.