Lebanese customs have seized 5 million Captagon pills at Beirut port that were intended to be smuggled to Greece and Saudi Arabia, LBCI News reported on Wednesday.
According to the local news outlet, officials received an anonymous tip-off stating that the Captagon pills were hidden inside machines used for the manufacture of tiles.
Up until now, three people have been arrested in connection with the seizure. One of the detained individuals was identified as Ali. S.
This development comes as the most recent drug bust in the country in a series of raids by the authorities.
Earlier this month, tons of cannabis and over 8 million Captagon pills were seized in an export company’s warehouse before they made their way to the Port of Beirut.
According to the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Captagon pills are considered a popular drug in the Gulf countries where it has been used for decades as a stimulant.
A Saudi prince was arrested at Beirut Airport in 2015 while trying to smuggle out two tons of Captagon on a private plane.
Lebanon and Syria are believed to be some of the countries that offer a smuggling route for the dangerous amphetamine, as reported by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT).
Captagon has been reported to be one of the most commonly used drugs by Daesh fighters and multiple armed groups in conflict zones in the Middle East, as the fighters say “it helps them stay awake for days.”
Considering it’s cheap and easy to manufacture, experts believe there have been ongoing trials to brand the drug as a budget-friendly alternative to cocaine, even in the West, according to AFP.
During the month of July of last year, Italian police seized three containers holding 84 million Captagon pills, estimated to be worth $1.12 billion, that were on their way to Europe.
As investigations took place, it was later revealed that the bust is linked back to the Syrian regime and its ally Hezbollah.
It is to note that the local production of cannabis brought Lebanon to be ranked the world’s third-largest hashish supplier after Morocco and Afghanistan, according to the United Nations.
