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Guardia di Finanza / Twitter#GDF #Napoli, sequestro record di 14 tonnellate di #anfetamine: 84 milioni di pasticche prodotte in #Siria da ISIS/DAESH per finanziare il #terrorismo. Oltre 1 miliardo di euro il valore sul mercato. #NoiconVoi pic.twitter.com/McdOljNxa5
— Guardia di Finanza (@GDF) July 1, 2020
ITALIAN POLICE SAY they have seized a 14-tonne haul of amphetamines made by the Islamic State group in Syria, calling it the biggest seizure of such drugs in the world.
The drugs, in the form of around 84 million Captagon tablets hidden inside industrial goods within containers, are worth about €1 billion and were intended to be sold on the European market “to finance terrorism”, the finance police of Naples said in a statement.
“We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria which in the past few years has become the world’s largest producer of amphetamines,” the statement said.
Police said three suspect containers had arrived at the port of Salerno, just south of Naples, containing large cylindrical paper rolls for industrial use as well as industrial machinery.
Cutting open the paper rolls and metal gear wheels with chainsaws, police found them filled with tablets. Video images taken by police showed pills spilling out of the rolls and wheels as they were forced opened.
“This is the largest seizure of amphetamines in the world,” police said.
‘Jihad drug’
Captagon, a brand name, was originally for medical use but illegal versions have been dubbed the ‘jihad drug’ — after being widely used by IS fighters in combat — the police said.
Citing the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Naples police said IS “makes extensive use of it in all territories over which it exerts influence and where it controls the drug trade”.
Once the plants are established, “it is easy for IS to produce large quantities also for the world market for synthetic drugs, in order to quickly accumulate substantial funding”, the statement said.
The amount of drugs seized were sufficient to satisfy the entire European market, police said, without providing a time frame.
A “consortium” of criminal groups were likely involved for the distribution of the drugs, including possibly many clans within the infamous Camorra of Naples, police said.
“The hypothesis is that during the lockdown … production and distribution of synthetic drugs in Europe has practically stopped,” the statement said.
“Many smugglers, even in consortiums, have turned to Syria where production, however, does not seem to have slowed down.”
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Think I’ll stick to the Mitsubishis
@FastBuck: it’s usually Toyota’s that these lads prefer
@FastBuck: Most Captagon is made in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon by Hezbollah linked drug barons. I have not heard of ISIS making Captagon before, I suspect this claim was made in order used to justify US involvement in Syria.
Also, Syria’s economy is decimated by US sanctions, made worse by the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. It’s possible the Syrian government is also involved, they need the money. But can you sell US involvement in Syria as a anti-drugs mission? ISIS are easier to scapegoat.
A Saudi Prince was a caught with two tons of Captagon pills on his private Jet in Beirut Airport in 2015. But 14 tons is huge, I am skeptical that ISIS could cook this up in the desert.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/979381/saudi-prince-held-in-record-beirut-airport-drug-bust
@FastBuck: There are references to Japanese car brands. But I don’t get it. I lead a sheltered life, I suppose.
@Earth Traveller: A plumber in the US sold his Toyota Hilux to a car dealers, a couple of years later is saw it on TV, in the Syrian desert driven around by ISIS, still had his name and telephone number on it.
@FastBuck: ISIS probably wouldn’t like the Mitzeys too much seeing as dancing is against their beliefs. Damn hard not to bust a few moves with one or two of them in ya if memory serves.
@David Jordan:
Syria is or was a pharmaceutical manufacturing giant before and throughout the war and captagon was the drug of choice to fuel the IS front. They took over several facilities and their technicians and put them to work. Also with tribalism I wouldn’t be surprised if Bekaa were involved too. A complicated hot mess!
The hypocrisy is staggering, beating people half to death for smoking cigarettes while their entire frontline were off their mallets on Captagon
Thats UnIslamic lads, I thought you guys were pure as Antarctic snow
@Tony Stack: They are not Islamic, they are terrorists
@Bountyop: Those things arent mutually exclusive.
If they sold them off they could get their economy right back on track!!
Sell them to Trump!
@Daniel Kelly: their probably from trump corp. Cia.com. lol
Be some bang of em
I hear the batch was called “God Speed”
They’d never miss a few ton
A ritalin type drug then?
@JustBEERbarry:
Rita would approve.
@JustBEERbarry: speed tablets
@Aaron Jones: just like ritalin.
@JustBEERbarry: yeah
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