In recent years, Syria has transformed into the primary hub for producing and trafficking Captagon across the Middle East. What began as a limited illicit activity has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry that now represents one of the regime’s most important sources of revenue.
International reports estimate that around half of Syria’s informal income now comes from Captagon, making it a core pillar of the country’s shadow economy.
Syria is believed to account for nearly 80% of global Captagon production, supported by well-organized networks that oversee manufacturing, packaging, and large-scale smuggling. The trade relies on complex land, sea, and air routes that run through neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, before reaching major consumer markets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf states. Additional maritime routes carry shipments into Cyprus, Greece, and Italy.
The map illustrates how Syria functions not only as a producing country but also as a strategic nexus linking regional markets.
As a result, the Captagon industry has become one of the most influential—and destabilizing—economic and security challenges in the Middle East today.
