The President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salem Al-Meslet, has welcomed joint US-British sanctions targeting individuals and entities supporting the Assad regime’s production and export of Captagon. Captagon pills have become a significant export for the regime, with the areas controlled by the Assad regime becoming major centers for its manufacture and distribution around the world. Trading in the drug has now reached Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and the Gulf countries, as well as African and European nations.
Al-Meslet criticized the regime for offering nothing but drugs, terrorism, militias, and crises, and highlighted the danger posed by the Assad regime’s Captagon trade. The US and the UK imposed sanctions on 12 individuals and two entities on Tuesday, citing their support for the regime’s drug trade in Captagon. The Caesar Act will enforce these joint sanctions to protect Syrian civilians.
According to the US Treasury website, the new sanctions list highlights the significant role of Lebanese drug smugglers, who have close ties to Hezbollah, in facilitating the export of Captagon. The list confirms the dominance of the Assad family over the illegal trade in Captagon, which is used to finance the oppressive regime.
The individuals targeted by the sanctions include Khaled Kaddour, director of the office of Maher al-Assad, Samer Kamal al-Assad, Wassim Badi al-Assad, commander of the Baath Brigades militia, Imad Abu Zureik, Hassan Muhammad Daqu, Noah Zuaiter, Abdel Latif Hamid, Mustafa al-Masalmeh, Taher al-Kayyali, Amer Khiti, Muhammad Shalish, Raji Falhout, Hassan Dakko Trading Company, and Al-Israa Corporation for Import and Export.
Abdul Majeed Barakat, Secretary of the SOC’s political committee, revealed that the committee had already presented detailed files on these names to the US Treasury Department during their recent visit to Washington. He added that the SOC would continue to monitor drug makers and dealers to include them in the sanctions list.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
