Middle East: Fenethylline

(asked on 27th January 2023) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of the captagon trade on the ability of States to circumvent sanctions.


Answered by
David Rutley Portrait
David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 3rd February 2023

Estimates by independent experts suggest captagon provides the Syrian regime with between $USD 10-57 billion per year, up to 10 times more than Syria's annual budget. This trade increases regional instability and provides the Asad regime with a financial lifeline, little of which helps the Syrian people. The application of international sanctions remains an appropriate tool to encourage a change in regime behaviour. We will also target those benefiting from narcotics trading, where appropriate. Sanctions continue to signal to regional partners the downside for those who may consider engaging with Damascus or normalising relations with drug lords and war profiteers.

Reticulating Splines