Syria Arrests Assad Relative Tied to $2 Billion Captagon Empire

Authorities say Namir Badi’ Assad was seized in Al-Qardaha with alleged partners as part of a wider post-regime crackdown on drug and arms networks

[DAMASCUS] Syrian authorities on Thursday arrested Namir Badi’ Assad, the brother of Wassim Assad, who was recently detained on charges tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, during a security operation in Al-Qardaha in the countryside of Latakia Governorate in northwestern Syria.

According to an official statement from the Syrian Ministry of Interior, the arrest followed a planned ambush carried out with the governorate’s Anti-Terrorism Branch, leading to the capture of Namir Assad and several partners, including Qusay Ibrahim, the leader of the so-called Mountain Brigade, a security unit previously active around Jabal al-Akrad, Nabi Yunis, Sahyun Castle, and Kinsabba.

Officials said the detainees were referred to the Anti-Terrorism Directorate to complete investigations before being presented to the competent judiciary. The statement framed the move as part of the new transitional government’s campaign to pursue remnants of the former regime and apply the law without exception.

These arrests—of both Namir and Wassim Assad—form part of a series of operations launched after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024.

Government accounts link the suspects to economic and security networks that operated under the former authorities and to what officials describe as “disrupting public order and promoting illegal activities.”

Officials also said the latest actions show a determination to hold powerful figures to account across economic and military spheres, including alleged drug- and arms-smuggling rings.

International assessments have alleged that the ousted regime controlled a large share of the Captagon market and that members of the Assad family benefited directly from that illicit trade. Captagon, originally a 1960s pharmaceutical stimulant, now refers to counterfeit tablets containing amphetamine-type substances, often amphetamine mixed with caffeine; production hubs are widely reported in Syria and Lebanon, with major consumer markets in the Arabian Peninsula. It has become one of the region’s most profitable illegal exports, worth billions of dollars annually.

Experts estimate that the annual value of Syria’s Captagon trade reaches about $10 billion annually, with the Assad family’s share around $2.4 billion.

The arrest of Namir and Wassim Assad represents an important step in building transitional justice, as it demonstrates that the law can reach even those who were considered influential figures within the former regime

Judge Marwan al-Youssef, a former adviser at the Syrian Supreme Court, told The Media Line that “the arrest of Namir and Wassim Assad represents an important step in building transitional justice, as it demonstrates that the law can reach even those who were considered influential figures within the former regime.”

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He added that “the new Syrian law allows for the prosecution of anyone involved in illegal activities or financing organized crimes during the period of the former regime, including their involvement in economic and security networks that affected society.”

The judge said the arrests signal that the era of impunity has ended and that the rule of law will apply regardless of family or political ties.

Retired Colonel Samer Deeb, an expert in criminal investigations, told The Media Line that “preliminary investigations indicate that Namir Assad’s network relied on complex methods including mountain passages and ports to facilitate the smuggling of illegal materials, with former security personnel acting as cover.”

He added that “the arrest of the leader of the so-called Mountain Brigade reflects the military and security nature of these networks, as they protected smuggling operations and ensured the continuity of their activities within the Syrian coastal areas.”

The criminal expert also noted that “the arrest of Wassim and Namir Assad within a short period demonstrates the seriousness of the new authorities in pursuing all actors who were part of the former power structure, whether in the military or economic sectors.”

Observers see the detention of two close relatives of former President Bashar Assad as a major shift in judicial and security policy after the regime’s fall—opening the way for an accountability process that could include:

• Holding to account those responsible for economic and security crimes linked to the former regime.
• Delivering justice for victims of corruption and violence over the past decades.
• Rebuilding public confidence in courts and security services.

Judicial sources say the Justice and Interior ministries are compiling files on prior corruption and influence networks for referral to specialized bodies to ensure fair, transparent proceedings. Names reportedly under review include figures the government alleges were involved in war crimes or corruption, such as Suhail al-Hasan, and former provincial leaders, particularly in Damascus.

During Bashar Assad’s rule, select security and family figures held substantial sway, supervising drug- and arms-smuggling networks across coastal and border provinces. Operating under official cover, these networks were difficult to prosecute at the time.

Human rights and regional reporting have long described an overlap between military and economic power within the regime’s circle, where family and security groups drew on illicit wealth to fund political and security activities. Neighboring states in recent years have mounted cross-border actions to stem Captagon shipments originating from Syrian territory.

That history gives added weight to the latest arrests, which suggest an effort to dismantle coercive networks and to restructure security and judicial institutions around clearer legal standards. Under Syria’s Narcotic Drugs Law (Law No. 2 of 1993), drug manufacturing and trafficking carry severe penalties, including lengthy prison terms and, in aggravated cases, capital punishment.

A Ministry of Interior spokesperson told The Media Line that “the recent arrests come within the framework of the state’s efforts to ensure the rule of law, pursue all persons who participated in criminal activities or affected public security during the period of the former regime. These measures will guarantee the application of justice without exception, reflecting the new government’s commitment to prosecute all offenders according to the law.”

The recent arrests come within the framework of the state’s efforts to ensure the rule of law. … These measures will guarantee the application of justice without exception.

The spokesperson said Wassim and Namir Assad and members of their networks will face full judicial investigation with their legal rights guaranteed, calling the step a first practical milestone in the country’s post-regime justice track.

Taken together, the arrests of Namir and Wassim Assad indicate a resolve to pursue former power brokers and to hold those involved in economic and security crimes accountable. The move also lays the groundwork for broader accountability mechanisms for corruption and violence across prior decades.

Analysts expect the next phase to include a wider pursuit of former security and family figures who helped entrench illicit influence, an overhaul of security and judicial bodies to ensure independence and effectiveness, and a reconciliation and justice agenda that balances accountability with victims’ rights.

Overall, these actions are being cast as a turning point after the former regime’s collapse—where law, politics, and security intersect to begin a more durable rule-of-law era.