The Anti-Narcotics Department in Rural Damascus has uncovered a farm on the outskirts of Douma (eastern Ghouta, near Damascus) used for cultivating cannabis plants intended for the production of hashish, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday, October 9.

According to the ministry’s statement, the farm contained large quantities of cannabis estimated at around 240 kilograms. The raid, conducted in cooperation with Douma’s Internal Security Directorate, led to the confiscation of the materials and the arrest of the farm owners, who were referred to the competent judiciary for legal proceedings.

Syrian-Jordanian Cooperation on Border Drug Smuggling

The ministry added that Syrian and Jordanian anti-narcotics authorities had thwarted seven smuggling attempts of narcotics across the shared border in recent weeks, as part of ongoing joint security coordination to combat trafficking networks.

A joint statement issued on October 5 said the coordinated operations resulted in the seizure of about one million narcotic pills prepared for smuggling and distribution, in addition to the arrest of several individuals involved. The cooperation included intelligence sharing and field coordination, which led to the dismantling of organized criminal groups posing a threat to both countries and the region.

Previous Cooperation with Turkey

On September 2, Syrian and Turkish authorities conducted a joint anti-drug operation in Rural Damascus, the first of its kind, seizing 500 kilograms of precursor chemicals used in drug manufacturing and a large quantity of Captagon pills in the town of Yaafour (Rural Damascus).

The Interior Ministry stated that the seized substances had been concealed inside preserved food containers and buried underground. It stressed that anti-narcotics operations continue to target trafficking and smuggling networks across the country.

Continued Anti-Drug Commitment

In its latest World Drug Report 2025, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that Syria remains a key hub for narcotics production and trafficking, even after the fall of the Assad regime, which had been the primary beneficiary of the Captagon trade, despite efforts by the new government to disrupt supply chains.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to combating drugs as part of the state’s broader effort to protect Syria’s present and future.

The UN report, issued in June, noted that while the current government opposes the drug trade, Syria continues to serve as a production and transit center, though the new administration has publicly destroyed large quantities of seized Captagon, signaling a policy shift toward dismantling drug networks.

Syrian-Jordanian Cooperation Foils Smuggling of One Million Drug Pills on Border