Italy seizes 14 tons of IS-made amphetamines from Syria

AFP

Published at 11:20 am July 1st, 2020

An Italian finance police officer opens a machinery containing ISIS produced amphetamine pills in Salerno, Italy Reuters

'The Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria which in the past few years has become the world's largest producer of amphetamines'

Italian police said Wednesday they have seized a world record 14-tonne haul of amphetamines made by the Islamic State group in Syria.

The drug, in the form of 84 million Captagon tablets, was worth about one billion euros, police said in a statement, describing the operation as "the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world."

"We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria which in the past few years has become the world's largest producer of amphetamines," the statement added.

The shipment was hidden in three containers found in the port of Salerno, just south of Naples.

Captagon, a brand name, was originally for medical use but illegal versions have been dubbed "the Jihad Drug" -- after being widely used by IS fighters in combat -- the police said.