Bangladesh, March 16 -- Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to hold the dubious distinction of being the Middle Easts largest producer of Captagon, a powerful stimulant that fuels a billion-dollar narcotics industry. Recent major drug seizures in Syria and Saudi Arabia have reinforced concerns that the illicit trade, deeply entrenched in Syrias war-ravaged economy, remains a formidable challenge for law enforcement across the region.

On March 11, Syrias anti-narcotics unit intercepted a shipment of 100,000 Captagon pills along the border with Jordan. This seizure came just a day after Saudi authorities uncovered nearly 1.4 million Captagon tablets concealed within a shipment of air conditioning units. According to Saudi...