The operation resulted in the seizure of 500 kilograms of raw materials intended for drug production, along with a large quantity of Captagon pills hidden inside preserved food stored in plastic containers and large vessels buried underground.
The Ministry of Interior of Syria announced the arrest of all those involved, who were referred to the competent authorities to complete legal procedures, while the materials used in Captagon production were also confiscated.
About two weeks before the operation, on August 17, 2025, an investigation by ARIJ, Siraj, and Daraj titled ‘The Syrian Captagon Empire‘ revealed that raw materials used in Captagon production had been brought into Syria under pharmaceutical licenses, through Lebanon.
The investigation documented, from inside a palace located between Yaafour and Dimas, the presence of ten key chemicals imported from factories in China, India, Malaysia, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, which are used in the production of counterfeit Captagon tablets.
Based on official documents, exclusive testimonies, and field research, the investigation traces how the pharmaceutical licensing system was exploited by chemical warehouses and pharmaceutical companies to import diphenhydramine into Syria and convert it into a key ingredient in the manufacture of counterfeit Captagon tablets.
