Syrian security forces in the Damascus countryside province intercepted a major drug smuggling operation, seizing 600,000 Captagon pills intended for transport into Iraq. The Syrian interior ministry reported Wednesday that the Criminal Security Branch in Damascus uncovered the hidden narcotics inside a vehicle, along with a cache of weapons, ammunition, and three vehicles with forged license plates and concealed compartments.

The ministry's statement, shared on social media, confirmed that a suspect detained in the operation confessed to involvement in smuggling drugs into Iraq. This latest seizure highlights the growing challenge posed by Captagon, an amphetamine-based drug widely trafficked in the Middle East. In March, Iraqi authorities seized three million Captagon pills near the Syrian border, underscoring the scale of the cross-border narcotics trade.

To strengthen counter-narcotics efforts, Iraq and Syria signed a security agreement in May focusing on border control and combating the smuggling of illegal substances. The two countries share a border of over 600 kilometers, with portions controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the north and the Damascus government in the south.

In response to security threats and smuggling risks, Iraq has constructed a concrete barrier along sections of its border with Syria. The wall aims to prevent the movement of narcotics and to curb the activity of armed groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS), which has previously exploited the porous border to facilitate the movement of fighters and weapons.

Regional cooperation on counter-narcotics has also expanded, with Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon pledging to collaborate on anti-smuggling efforts during a ministerial meeting in Amman earlier this year. The rise in narcotics trafficking remains a pressing concern for Middle Eastern nations, driving coordinated security measures across borders to address the threat.