Massive amounts of the drug Captagon (Fenethylline) are being smuggled from Syria to eastern Libya; a trade struck by Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad and Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, a report has revealed.
The report by Arabi 21 website added that Assad’s regime is sending shipments of the drug from Lattakia port to Benghazi in eastern Libya; under the control of warlord Haftar.
The report cites a former Syrian diplomat who served a while in Libya, Ghazi Dahman, as saying that after smuggling the drugs into Libya, Haftar then instructs his militias to distribute them inside and outside Libya.
“Benghazi is an area of both usage and distribution of the drugs.” The Syrian diplomat told Arabi 21
He said that Assad is using the chaos in Libya in order to run the smuggling operations of the drugs to Libya via the ports or even using his airplanes, which fly directly to Benghazi, adding that Assad is using the drugs to get a flow of foreign currencies.
Dahman said after a direct air bridge was made between Damascus and Benghazi, more shipments were being sent to the eastern Libyan city, especially via Cham Wings Airlines, which is owned by the Syrian regime.
He indicated that the drugs are also being sent to Benghazi with the Russians (Wagner Group) mercenaries – Syrians and other nationalities – accusing the Russians of facilitating the drugs’ trade between Assad and Haftar.
The report says that the drugs amount to tons being smuggled to Libya by Syria, adding that a pill costs in Syria one US dollar but in Libya it is being sold for three dollars.
The Interior Minister of the Government of National Accord Fathi Bashagha confirmed to Arabi 21 website that Syrian regime is funding drugs smuggling to different countries, including Libya.
