Shipments of the illegal and addictive amphetamine Captagon, one of the Middle East’s most dangerous illegal narcotics, is often concealed in everyday items in a way that belies the drug’s malign impact. An enormous haul of 1.1 million Captagon pills recently uncovered in Iraq – the country’s biggest – was hidden among a shipment of ironing boards inside a lorry that entered from Syria through Turkey.
The shipment's Syrian origin should come as no surprise. Captagon has been manufactured there for years, earning its makers hefty profits as it became one of the more popular recreational drugs among affluent youth in the Middle East and beyond. At one stage, independent experts cited by the UK government estimated the Captagon trade was worth several billion dollars – an amount that vastly outstripped Syria’s legal exports under the Bashar Al Assad government.
Although that government has fallen, the problem of Captagon remains, particularly as gangs continue to benefit from its trade. Syria’s interim administration is led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a militant group that has a record of cracking down on the drug’s production and distribution. During HTS forces’ advance from its Idlib stronghold in December, fighters were filmed uncovering and destroying drug labs and stores of Captagon tablets. Prior to its removal of the Assad government, HTS took action to disrupt Captagon smugglers in the areas under its control.
Indeed, just hours after HTS took power in Syria, its leader – now Syria's President – Ahmad Al Shara told supporters inside Damascus’s Umayyad Mosque that the country “has become the biggest producer of Captagon on Earth, and today, Syria is going to be purified by the grace of God". However, it will take more than security crackdowns to eliminate the Captagon trade for good.
Finding and dismantling Captagon labs, big and small, will take time and resources that the new administration needs for other problems, such as keeping a lid on Syria’s sectarian tensions. Disrupting the trade could also antagonise those lower down the ladder who lack another way of making a living in a country with a ruined economy. In practical terms, a security response alone is not enough to uproot Captagon from Syria.
Providing real alternatives to illegal enterprises and restoring Syria’s economy are at the heart of the nation’s recovery
Instead, economic incentives and greater access to jobs are vital. One option put forward by some experts would be to restore the country’s pre-war role as the Middle East’s primary producer of medicines. Repurposing labs to produce pharmaceuticals and re-hiring technicians and workers would offer incentives to leave the dangerous and unpredictable black market behind. Such a plan would require finance, investment and more sanctions relief than seen thus far – for example, producers would need access to chemicals and equipment.
But if providing real alternatives to illegal enterprises and restoring Syria’s economy are at the heart of the nation’s recovery, then support for such innovative thinking could produce a blueprint for broader answers to the country’s many problems, not just ending the Captagon trade. Law enforcement co-operation, improved policing and arresting drug kingpins are all important strategies for banishing the scourge of Captagon, but offering people a better, legal way to support themselves and their families would undercut the drug’s networks for producers and traders.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
