The Middle East’s Captagon crisis

The Middle East’s Captagon crisis

In April 2021, customs officers in the Saudi city of Jeddah searched a shipment of Lebanese pomegranates. Hidden inside the fruit were more than five million circular, beige Captagon pills – illegal amphetamines. It was the latest in a long line of interceptions in recent years that have seen officers in the kingdom stop millions of pills and tonnes of drugs being smuggled in. But for Saudi Arabia, it was the final straw. The kingdom announced a ban on imported fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, dealing a huge blow to farmers already suffering from the country’s economic collapse and sending a shockwave through the region. Over the last decade, Captagon has spread across the Middle East to become one of the most consumed narcotics. It gained particular infamy in the early years of the Syrian war as the drug of choice for militants like ISIS. Fighters took the pills on the battlefield as it fuelled them to fight for days without sleep or food. In this week's Beyond the Headlines host James Haines Young introduces a major investigation by The National into the Middle East’s Captagon crisis.

Hosted by James Haines-Young Produced by Arthur Scott-Geddes, Arthur Eddyson and Ayesha Khan

Jaksot(492)

Death penalty: The new threat to Palestinian detainees

Death penalty: The new threat to Palestinian detainees

Hussein Al Zweidi’s two-year detention in Israeli prisons were some of the hardest days of his life. He described a practice of physical and sexual abuse against prisoners, as well as poor conditions ...

17 Huhti 20min

What will come of the talks between Lebanon and Israel?

What will come of the talks between Lebanon and Israel?

US-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began this week in Washington. This comes after at least 1,500 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli strikes since March and more than one million re...

16 Huhti 23min

Theatre of war: How AI videos and propaganda clips manipulated US-Iran conflict

Theatre of war: How AI videos and propaganda clips manipulated US-Iran conflict

US President Donald Trump went from warning about the demise of a “whole civilisation” to announcing a “big day for world peace” in a matter of hours. It was not the first time he has used his Truth S...

10 Huhti 18min

EU's Kallas warns of 'slippery slope' if Iran controls Strait of Hormuz

EU's Kallas warns of 'slippery slope' if Iran controls Strait of Hormuz

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on Thursday that Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz could lead down a “slippery slope” of imposing tolls and taxes over international waters, which she d...

9 Huhti 10min

Escalation or diplomacy: Where does the war go from here?

Escalation or diplomacy: Where does the war go from here?

In his address to the nation on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was nearing its end and the US had decimated the country’s military capabilities. But parts of his speech contr...

3 Huhti 24min

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

It has been a month since Israel, along with the US, launched strikes on Iran, leading the Middle East into yet another conflict it tried to avoid. Iran has responded by firing waves of missiles and d...

27 Maalis 23min

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

About one million people have been forcibly displaced in Lebanon and almost a thousand killed in Israel’s renewed war with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group fired missiles at Israel in early March, joi...

19 Maalis 21min

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

US President Donald Trump said the American-Israeli war on Iran could end soon, without specifying an end date. But almost two weeks in, military operations only seem to be intensifying. The US claims...

13 Maalis 21min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
rss-pinnalla
rss-podme-livebox
otetaan-yhdet
aihe
rss-asiastudio
the-ulkopolitist
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
radio-antro
lotta-paakkunainen
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-girls-finish-f1rst