The amphetamine-like drug Captagon has created a multi-billion dollar industry in Syria and is spreading like an epidemic in the Middle East. The money fuels several conflicts in the region by financing military groups such as Hezbollah. The drug is a central stimulant and can produce effects that temporarily strengthen self-confidence and that you become emotionally numb – something that both IS soldiers and terrorists have used. Although the US has imposed both sanctions and security cooperation to try to stop the flow of Captagon, the market continues to flourish. What kind of drug is Captagon? How dangerous is it? And how can Sweden stop it from reaching our borders?
Guest: Kai Knudsen, drug expert and chief physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
Producer and presenter: Olivia Bengtsson.
Clips in the episode: AFP, SVT, France 24.
Contact: [email protected]
THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2024