Oman seizes 6 million pills in Captagon bust with Saudi Arabia

DUBAI — Oman narcotics authorities apprehended an international drug smuggling network and seized 6 million Captagon pills with the cooperation of Saudi Arabia, according to an announcement Thursday by Oman Police. 

Captagon is a synthetic stimulant illegally sold across the Arabian Peninsula. There is a multibillion-dollar black market for Captagon, which in recent years has been regionally manufactured along the Syrian-Lebanon border, according to the Washington-based Arab Center. The highly addictive substance travels through Jordan to reach the Gulf states, where it has been a drug of choice among disenfranchised youth, particularly in Saudi Arabia. 

What happened: The General Administration for Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, a division of the Royal Oman Police, arrested smugglers looking to reexport 6 million Captagon pills through land and sea ports, stated Oman authorities on Wednesday via Twitter. 

The arrests came after an operation coordinated with Saudi Arabia found the 6 million Captagon tablets stored in warehouses and amid preparations for reexport within cargo trucks and other vehicles.