fearless
© tuttoilresto.altervista.org"Getting tough" is easier than we think.
General Directorate of Ports in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia seized about two tons of narcotics near the beach of Cape of Ras al-Bassit, local media reported, as cited by Prensa Latina.The confiscated drugs, which was floating in the sea in leather bags, consisted of more than 800 kilograms of hashish paste and nearly six million tablets of Captagon, the drug of choice by the members of the terrorist group Islamic State (IS).

The general director of Ports of Latakia, Maitham al-Yousuf, told reporters that the stash was spotted on Saturday by a patrol that ran along the beach, about 400 kilometers northwest of the capital. For his part, Latakia Governor Ibrahim Khader al-Salem accused the countries that sponsor terrorism against Syria of being responsible for the drug.

"It is a desperate attempt at destabilizing national security and sabotaging the minds of young people by preventing them from exercising their normal life and trying to continue their education," said the governor.

white pills
© english.farsnews.comCaptagon
According to experts, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began production of Captagon in 2011 in a laboratory in Bulgaria and it is now [also] manufactured elsewhere in the world.

Part of the profits from the illegal trade in Captagon, experts say, is used to finance armed extremist groups that are trying to overthrow the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad.

Captagon, the drug used by the jihadists with the Islamic State to get tough and fearless.

"Captagon is a synthetic drug created in a laboratory of NATO in Bulgaria. Some of the more suspicious people will probably see the latest evidence proving the participation in some of the super-powers and NATO countries in the establishment and expansion of the Islamic State phenomenon," Tunisie numerique writes.


Comment: Captagon or fenethylline (also known as Biocapton or Fitton) is a chemical linkage of amphetamine and theophylline producing a psychostimulant. Invented in 1961, it was used as a milder alternative to amphetamines but subsequently became illegal in most countries in 1986, as demanded by the WHO. Fenethylline is metabolized by the body to form two drugs: amphetamine and theophylline, both of which are active stimulants themselves. The physiological effects therefore result from a combination of all three drugs. Fenethylline is a popular drug, allegedly used by militant groups in Syria and Lebanon. According to some leaks, militant groups would also export the drug in exchange for weapons and cash. A report from 1994 stated that Bulgaria [was at that time] the largest producer of fenethylline (Captagon) and amphetamines for supply to the Middle East and some African countries.


The Tunisian news website explains that after its production the Captagon goes to the Islamists in the form of small white pills.

Tunisie numerique recalls that before the Syrian conflict the drug was used in other conflict zones, adding the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi accused the Islamists in Libya of taking hallucinogens. Apart from deadening the feeling of fear and pain, the Captagon also has hallucinogenic effects.