Saudi FM warns against ‘explosive growth’ of synthetic drugs in Arab world

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Monday warned against the dangers of the “explosive growth” of synthetic drugs in the Middle East, voicing Riyadh’s determination to enhance international cooperation to tackle these threats.

“We have seen explosive growth in synthetic drugs in our part of the world and we are seeing very, very deteriorating effects on our societies and that is galvanizing our engagement on this issue,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

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Prince Faisal said the recent increase in methamphetamine was being manufactured in countries with insecure and unstable conditions.

Prince Faisal also thanked the top US diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, for leading an international coalition to address the public health and security threat of synthetic drugs through global cooperation.

Saudi Arabia has been combating the rampant use of and illicit import of Captagon, an amphetamine widely manufactured in Syria. The Saudi crackdown has seen millions of Captagon pills found and destroyed while making their way into the Kingdom.

Prince Faisal said collaborative efforts among governments and international stakeholders were needed to combat the global drug scourge.

Noting that action was needed with the “utmost urgency,” the Saudi foreign minister said: “We are gravely concerned about the public health and social harms associated with non-medical consumption of synthetic drugs and the challenges associated with illicit manufacture, diversion trafficking and related crimes.”

Read more: Operation Storm: UAE arrests six for smuggling Captagon worth over $1 billion