Syrian security forces have intensified their fight against drug trafficking, seizing large quantities of narcotics across the country, according to security sources. In the past 24 hours, the Syrian National Security Agency disrupted four major smuggling operations, confiscating large drug shipments linked to organized networks.
One of the largest seizures occurred near the Syria-Lebanon border, where the Syrian Defense Ministry’s 103rd Brigade uncovered a drug warehouse in the village of Al-Masriyah. Authorities reported that the facility, linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, contained substantial amounts of narcotics intended for smuggling. The seized drugs are set to be destroyed at a later date.
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In a separate raid, the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Daraa discovered a large cache of narcotic pills in an eastern countryside warehouse. Security officials believe the facility was previously operated by drug dealers connected to Hezbollah. Meanwhile, in Jableh, a coastal city in Latakia province, the General Security Directorate arrested several traffickers in possession of large amounts of narcotic pills and hashish.
Another key operation took place in Aleppo, where Internal Security Forces arrested a high-profile drug trafficker and confiscated a major narcotics shipment. The drugs were located in Afrin, a region formerly under Turkish-backed Syrian National Army control before the new Syrian administration took charge.
The surge in drug seizures highlights Syria’s ongoing struggle with narcotics trafficking, despite the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. Former President Bashar Assad, who fled to Moscow after losing power, had been widely accused of turning Syria into a major global drug producer, using narcotics revenues to sustain his rule during the country’s 13-year conflict.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to dismantle drug networks and restore stability. Syria’s location bordering Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, as well as its access to the Mediterranean, makes it a key transit point for drug smuggling. The transitional government has vowed to prevent Syria from becoming a source of regional instability, emphasizing its commitment to international security cooperation.