Syria – SNA hits drug smuggling in advance of N Syria battle

Location: Northern Syria – Syria

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:05:49

Sound: natural

Source: A24 : Azaz Northern Syria

Restrictions: A24 subscribers

Date: 17/07/ 2022

Storyline:

The Syrian National Army expanded its campaign against narcotics Thursday with the apprehension and arrest in northwestern Syria of at least one hundred drug dealers and their clients.

The SNA’s anti-drug campaign comes as Northern Syria returns to the headlines. Turkish-backed SNA troops are preparing for a major offensive against the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. At the same time, Ankara readies to create its long-promised “security zone” along the border.

The chief of SNA’s military police told A24 in Azzaz that his forces are determined to stop the spread of drug abuse, including Methamphetamines.

He pledged to open drug rehabilitation centers soon for the impoverished war-scarred young people in the region.

The SNA accuses the SDF and the Syrian government of profiting from the drug trade.

Last week German prosecutors announced its investigators found the Assad clan at the center of a several billion dollars a year drug smuggling scheme.

According to the online news platform Grid, seizures of the Syrian regime captagon shipments totaled around $3.4 billion in 2020 compared to around $122 million for olive oil –the country’s largest legal export.

Siraj al-Din, SNA Third Corps spokesman, said most illegal drugs arrive through regime-controlled areas. His forces often meet with armed resistance from drug dealers.

Shotlist:

– Soundbite (Major Bashar Hammud – Syrian National Army):

            “After the spread of drug abuse in liberated northern Syria, Syrian National Army launched, in cooperation with all branches of the Military Police Department across northern Syria, arrest campaign of drug dealers and users. Military Police Department forces interrogated those involved in spreading this drug that harms young people, and forces them to commit crimes such as murder and kidnapping.”

– Soundbite (Major Bashar Hammud – Syrian National Army):

            “Recently, our military police checkpoints have confiscated large quantities of drugs including Capticol and H-pose, known as Methamphetamine. These drugs were smuggled by the regime forces, its shabiha militia and Syrian Democratic Forces through Nubl and Zahra areas.”

– Soundbite (Major Bashar Hammud – Syrian National Army):

            “Recently, there has been a spread of H-pose (Methamphetamine), which is one of the most dangerous substances for young people, in addition to Capticol, whose low price makes it easier to spread among young people. As an executive authority, we arrest drug dealers and users, and interrogate them to get the names of drug suppliers and sellers. Once seizures are carried out, those arrested are referred to military or civilian courts. The new stage involves establishing rehabilitation centers for the drug users.”

– Soundbite ( – Spokesman for Syrian National Army Third Corps):

            ” Syrian National Army Third Corps has recently carried out several security campaigns against drug dealers in the region. Our campaigns deal with big drug operations, in which drugs, specifically Captagon, are smuggled through Assad regime-controlled areas into liberated areas, under supervision of the Assad regime army’s Fourth Division, as well as drug operations in smaller areas of the region. Most of these campaigns were met with armed resistance from drug dealers, which is why we believe the concept of security in the region is closely related to the con

cept of fighting drug abuse. Drugs are the source of scourge in the region, as they are followed by explosions and other issues. Drug smuggling is a major security issue for northern Syria.”

– Soundbite (Siraj al-Din- Spokesman for Syrian National Army Third Corps):

            “Recently, large quantities of drug shipments were confiscated, including one about one million Captagon pills, confiscated by Third Corps security forces. Another shipment was confiscated in the city of Afrin, which was about one hundred thousand pills. Other campaigns have been carried out including the arrest of a large number of drug dealers in the region.”