Fenethylline trade to turn Syria into a drug-controlled country

For years, Syria has been marked by a lethal and brutish civil war that precipitated the country’s political hyper-fragmentation, destruction, and destabilization with various armed militias currently haven taken control of those areas in Syria which were not reconquered by the Syrian regime.

To consolidate and manifest their political power within the respective regions of their control, many armed militias commenced to finance themselves with the drug trade, whereby a specific drug, called Fenethylline has proven to be a particularly lucrative business.

Fenethylline has already become famous within the context of ISIS’ former rise in-side Syria and Iraq as it can generate a high income for the selling party. However, it is crucial to note that the drug trade with Fenethylline is a business literally every Syrian oppositional or regime-affiliated group has resorted to since the inception of the 2011 civil war.

The production, smuggling, and selling of these narcotic pills further include adja-cent Lebanon, a country that suffers from severe economic stagnation, corruption, and impoverishment. With the development of the civil war, Syria has evolved into a major hub for drug trade with Fenethylline that extends to Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and the Gulf States and even reached several European countries.

Regarding Lebanon, especially the Beqaa’ area has become the focal point of the drug trade with adjacent Syria, whereby the selling and profit gaining is in the hands of the most influential clans and involves Syrian regime-affiliated individuals and groups as well as members of oppositional armed militias.

However, the most frequently stated and perhaps even the deepest involved conflict party that benefits from the Fenethylline drug trade are the Fourth Division, a mili-tary unit under the control of Maher Al-Assad, the brother of Syria’s President Ba-shar Al-Assad.

Even though drug trade and smuggling across the Lebanese-Syrian border, especially around the port of Latakia has always been known as a severe issue, the selling and consumption of Fenethylline is alarmingly increasing and had its peak during the most violent periods of the Syrian conflict, whereby the Southern governorates of As-Suwayda and Daraa are considered the stronghold of smuggling routes for Fenethylline towards Jordan.

Particularly, in As-Suwayda the rapid deterioration of the economic situation and growing penury has precipitated many young men to join local gangs that are also involved in the Fenethylline trade.

In addition, the leader of the oppositional and Turkey-backed Sultan Murad faction „Abu Walid Al-Azza“ is further infamous for being one of the most prominent stakeholders, involved in Fenethylline trade, as he maintains very cordial relations with the Fourth Division.

Drug consumption among youth and increasing Fenethylline trade amidst an envi-ronment, marked by political instability, economic stagnation, poverty, and gang violence, is one of Syria’s most pressing issues that further exacerbate and aggravate the dreadful repercussions of the deadly civil war that has shaken the country since 2011.