Shift in Syrian state involvement and international diplomacy: The crackdown indicates a strategic pivot by Syria’s new government to combat illicit revenues that previously bolstered regime elites and strained foreign relations. This may serve both to consolidate domestic control and improve Syria’s diplomatic standing.

Drug trade dynamics and potential unintended effects: While disrupting Captagon supply, demand remains. The UN’s warning about substitution with methamphetamine highlights a common pattern in drug markets where supply suppression can lead to the rise of alternative substances with different risks and trafficking