Dubai authorities intercepted a criminal operation transporting 4.5 million Dirhams worth of Captagon hidden within buttons of garments.
In a significant blow to the illegal drug trade, Dubai Police have thwarted a criminal gang attempting to smuggle nearly 90,000 Captagon tablets out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The operation, named Operation Toxic Buttons, was carried out in collaboration with Saudi Arabian authorities.
The illegal pills, weighing approximately 585kg, were believed to have a street value of Dh19 million. The drugs, hidden in the buttons of clothes, were discovered in a Dubai apartment and a property in another emirate.
The Captagon market is estimated to be worth about $10 billion a year, with 80% of it produced in Syria before the fall of Mr Al Assad. According to the New Lines Institute, a US-based think tank, about 82% of the Captagon seized in the Middle East between 2019 and 2023 originated from Syria.
The Syrian government, which is estimated to have generated more than $5 billion from the Captagon trade in 2021, has pledged to crack down on the production and trafficking of the drug. However, billions of dollars a year in Captagon have crossed from Syria into other Arab countries since 2018, posing a major national security threat in the region.
Lebanon was the second largest source of Captagon in the Middle East, accounting for 17% of the seized drugs. High-quality Captagon pills have sold for as much as $20 each in Arab countries.
The gang consisted of two Arabs and one Asian. The drugs were being prepared for movement on orders from someone overseas. The cross-border flow of Captagon has been a topic of concern, with Sharjah Police previously thwarting an attempt to distribute 3.5 million Captagon pills.
It is estimated that one Captagon pill costs as little as a few US cents to produce. The global Captagon market, with its lucrative profits, has been associated with various human rights abuses, including the detention, alleged torture, and mistreatment of activists.
The Saudi Arabian police were involved in actions related to the detention, alleged torture, and mistreatment of activists like Manahel al-Otaibi, who was imprisoned for advocating women’s rights and posting photos without an abaya. Arrests and harsh legal measures carried out by Saudi security and judicial authorities within Saudi Arabia have been criticised by human rights organisations.
As the fight against drug trafficking continues, the seizure of these Captagon tablets marks a significant victory in the efforts to curb the illicit trade and protect the region from the harmful effects of these drugs.
