A Syrian Interior Ministry member was killed during a security operation to arrest a drug dealer in Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria) on Monday, April 27.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir Ezzor reported that during a security operation carried out by forces from the Anti Narcotics Branch of the Interior Ministry in Deir Ezzor to arrest a drug dealer, gunfire was exchanged between the two sides, killing ministry member Khaled al-Radwan.
A private source in the Internal Security confirmed to Enab Baladi that the drug dealer was arrested, and about 500,000 narcotic pills prepared for sale and distribution in al-Mayadin (Deir Ezzor countryside) and its surroundings were seized.
The Interior Ministry mourned the member of the Anti Narcotics Branch in Deir Ezzor Governorate, saying he was killed while carrying out a security mission to arrest a drug dealer it described as “the most dangerous drug trafficker in the area.”
The force carrying out the operation also arrested the perpetrator involved in the incident and seized a “large” quantity of narcotic substances in his possession. “He will be referred to the judiciary to receive his just punishment under the law,” according to the Interior Ministry statement.
Campaign Targets Drug Networks
Internal Security Forces in Deir Ezzor Governorate had carried out an expanded security campaign on April 21, targeting drug trafficking and distribution networks in several neighborhoods of the city. The Tabb al-Joura neighborhood saw limited clashes during raids on “hideouts of wanted persons.”
The operation resulted in the arrest of several drug dealers and distributors, in addition to the seizure of quantities of narcotic substances that had been prepared for distribution, according to a statement by Deir Ezzor Governorate.
A private security source confirmed to Deir Ezzor’s Media Directorate at the time that the campaign came as part of an ongoing security plan aimed at drying up drug sources in the governorate, noting that security forces “will strike with an iron fist anyone who tries to harm society or tamper with its security.”
Drug Smuggling Network Dismantled
The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the dismantling of drug smuggling networks it described as “international,” through joint security operations with Iraqi authorities that resulted in the seizure of about 1 million Captagon pills, in one of the most prominent operations announced recently.
In a statement on April 8, the Interior Ministry said the Anti Narcotics Department had carried out operations in cooperation with Iraq’s General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs. The operations included three “special” security operations targeting networks specialized in trafficking and smuggling narcotic substances across the border, without specifying the exact locations where the operations took place.
According to the statement, security forces seized “large” quantities of narcotic pills, estimated at about 1 million Captagon pills, in addition to arresting four people it said were among the main members of these networks, without revealing their full identities.
For his part, Ziad al-Qaisi, director of relations and media at Iraq’s Interior Ministry’s Directorate of Narcotics Affairs, announced the dismantling of an international network and the arrest of its members during joint operations with the Syrian side.
Al-Qaisi said in a press conference that the operations were based on joint intelligence information between the two sides and resulted in the seizure of 1 million Captagon pills, noting that the suspects were referred to the judiciary to complete legal proceedings against them.
Government Reaffirms Commitment to Fighting Drugs
The 2025 World Drug Report, issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, warned that Syria remains a major drug hub, even after the fall of the Assad regime, which had been the largest beneficiary of Captagon production and trade in Syria, and despite the new government’s efforts to disrupt supply chains.
For his part, Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab affirmed the ministry’s continued commitment to combating drugs, as part of the state’s battle to protect Syria’s present and future.
The report, issued on June 26, 2025, stated that despite the current Syrian government’s opposition to the drug trade, the country remains a center for drug production and distribution. It said the new administration has pledged to disrupt the supply chain and has demonstrated this by publicly destroying large quantities of seized Captagon.
