Every year on June 26th, the international community observes the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, an official occasion established by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 42/112 to coordinate international efforts to protect societies from the scourge of drugs and to cut off the sources of funding for organized crime.
This year, in 2026, as Syria embarks on its promising transitional phase following the fall of the tyrannical regime, it has placed the task of purging the country of drug manufacturing and trafficking networks as a paramount sovereign priority for restoring national security and protecting regional and international peace.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that Syria’s transformation over the past years into a global hub for the production and trafficking of Captagon was not merely a criminal phenomenon, but rather a sinister economic policy implemented by the Assad family and its militias to finance the war machine and circumvent international sanctions. This makes purging the country of this destructive legacy a national duty intrinsically linked to sovereignty and dignity.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes the seriousness and importance of the updated 2026 international reports issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which indicate that the market value of Captagon trafficking originating from Syria has peaked at an estimated $5 billion annually. This highlights the structural challenge facing transitional institutions in dismantling this illicit financial empire.
The Syrian Future Movement also recalls the 2026 cross-border security reports, which confirm that cross-border smuggling networks operating into neighboring countries (especially Jordan and the Gulf states) continue to exploit vulnerabilities during the transitional phase. We consider the security of our Arab neighbors an integral part of Syrian national security, and full cooperation with our Arab brothers is key to eradicating these criminal networks.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that combating drugs in the new Syria should not be limited to security operations targeting smugglers, but must include a comprehensive health and social strategy that treats drug users (especially young people and adolescents targeted by these poisons) and treats them as patients in need of rehabilitation and reintegration, not merely as criminals.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that stabilizing the Syrian economy during the transitional phase requires dismantling the shadow economy based on organized crime, prohibiting money laundering, and converting the resources and facilities previously exploited for illicit manufacturing into legitimate industrial and pharmaceutical facilities that contribute to the country’s recovery and reconstruction.
Based on this national and sovereign vision, the Syrian Future Movement proposes the following recommendations:
- Establishing a “Joint National Anti-Drug Authority”: Expediting the establishment of a unified security and judicial body within the transitional government, empowered with broad authority to raid former manufacturing facilities, pursue smuggling networks, and effectively control land, sea, and air borders and entry points.
- Establishing “Free National Centers for Rehabilitation and Psychological Recovery”: Urging the Ministry of Health and civil society organizations to build specialized clinics and centers for addiction treatment and rehabilitation of affected youth, ensuring the confidentiality of treatment and their reintegration into the educational and professional systems.
- Activating Cross-Border Security Agreements with Neighboring Countries: Calling for the immediate establishment of joint security and intelligence operations rooms with Jordan, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the international community to exchange criminal information and dismantle international smuggling networks, thereby restoring confidence in the new Syrian state as a genuine partner in maintaining global stability.
