Cousin of ousted Syrian president arrested in major drug crackdown PHOTO

In a substantial security operation, Syrian authorities have arrested Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of the ousted president and one of the country’s most infamous drug traffickers. 

The arrest was carried out jointly by the General Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Interior, with operatives from the Special Operations Directorate successfully capturing Assad through a carefully planned ambush, Caliber.Az reports via Syrian media.

The arrest occurred without resistance. Wassim al-Assad had long been a well-known figure associated with organised crime and was widely believed to be involved in various illicit activities during the rule of his cousin, the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian Ministry of Interior released a statement confirming the arrest, noting that the operation was part of a broader campaign aimed at pursuing wanted individuals and enhancing national stability. The ministry emphasised that this was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks, particularly those linked to drug trafficking.

Wassim al-Assad’s name has been linked to the production and smuggling of captagon, an amphetamine-type stimulant widely trafficked in the region. His activities had previously drawn international scrutiny.

In March 2024, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Wassim al-Assad and Lebanese drug trafficker Noah Zaiter, accusing them of supporting the Assad regime through their involvement in the captagon trade. The department stated that its operations provided critical financial support to the regime.

The European Union followed suit a month later, placing Wassim al-Assad and two other Assad family members on its sanctions list for similar reasons — alleging their direct role in the production and smuggling of captagon and their support of the former Syrian leadership through criminal enterprises.

By Tamilla Hasanova