Grenades filled with amphetamine and ghost ships: dismantling the axis of crime in the Middle East

In an unprecedented naval operation, a Saudi-led maritime task force seized drugs worth $972 million in the Arabian Sea. The operation, dubbed Masmak, was carried out by Pakistan’s Navy ship PNS Yarmouk under the command of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), an international coalition of 47 countries. Within just 48 hours, two unflagged dhow vessels were intercepted carrying more than 2 tons of methamphetamine, another 350 kg of narcotics, and 50 kg of cocaine, according to KSA Moments.

At the same time, in Jeddah port, Saudi authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle 12,729,000 amphetamine pills hidden inside a shipment of pomegranates. Four people – two Egyptians, a Syrian and a Yemeni – were arrested, the local narcotics authority reported.

Drug trafficking routes across the Gulf and Arabian Sea

These seizures highlight the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking networks operating along the so-called southern corridor, which runs from Afghanistan and Pakistan toward Gulf markets. The dhow vessels, used as “ghost fishing boats,” sail unregistered through the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, exploiting weak governance in Yemen and Syria and the porous coasts of Pakistan.

A 2025 UN report confirms that methamphetamine and captagon trafficking has grown exponentially in the region, with maritime routes linking South Asia to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries.

Captagon’s growing footprint in Europe

Captagon is also becoming a major issue for Europe. A new report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) warns that Europe could emerge as a key transit hub for shipments bound for the Middle East. Between 2018 and 2023, EU member states reportedly seized around 127 million tablets (1,773 kg) of the drug. The largest haul – 84 million pills – was made in Salerno, Italy, in 2020. According to the report, production is also taking place within the EU, mainly in illegal labs in the Netherlands, where the drug is synthesized primarily from powdered amphetamine.

Captagon, named after one of its former pharmaceutical brands, was once prescribed to treat attention disorders. Now known as “the poor man’s cocaine,” it has become the drug of choice among young adults in the Middle East and North Africa. It was declared illegal in 1986 and withdrawn from medical use, but by the early 2000s, an illegal version began circulating across Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

“Captagon has become the main source of income for the Syrian government,” researcher Caroline Rose of the Newlines Institute for Policy and Strategy stated in 2022. Al Jazeera has similarly reported that supply networks distribute the drug through Lebanon, Jordan, Malaysia, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Geopolitical implications of the drug trade in the Middle East

1. Regional security: Operations led by Saudi Arabia under the CMF strengthen its role as a guarantor of maritime security in one of the world’s most strategic trade corridors. The fight against drug trafficking is closely intertwined with counter-terrorism, as groups such as the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Syria are known to fund their activities through the drug trade.
2. Military diplomacy: Cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the US and other CMF nations bolsters both military and diplomatic ties. Operation Masmak is being viewed as a demonstration of international coordination and Saudi leadership at sea.
3. Pressure on Syria and Lebanon: With captagon production centered in Syria – supported by the Assad regime and distributed by Hezbollah-linked networks – Saudi Arabia has become a primary target for the trade. Massive seizures are also seen as a political message to Damascus and Tehran.

Domestic impact inside Saudi Arabia

The rise in drug consumption within the Kingdom, particularly among young people, has prompted a tougher national crackdown. Official data estimate that more than 200,000 Saudis suffer from addiction, with annual spending on security, health and justice exceeding $10 billion. Saudi Arabia has also resumed executions for drug offenses, with an alarming 180 executions in the first half of 2025, 75% of them involving foreign nationals.

These latest drug seizures are more than law enforcement victories – they are geopolitical acts that redefine Saudi Arabia’s regional role. Amid tensions in the Gulf, proxy wars and transnational trafficking networks, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a central actor in the global fight against organized crime, with consequences reaching far beyond its borders.

Major recent drug busts in Saudi Arabia

Operation Masmak – Arabian Sea (October 2025)

Value seized: $972 million

Substances: 2 tons of methamphetamine, 350 kg additional narcotics, 50 kg cocaineForces: Pakistan Navy under Saudi command in CMF

Yemen border – Al-Wadiah (June 2025)

Seizure: 1.5 million narcotic pills hidden in refrigerated truck

Origin: Sana’a, Houthi-controlled zone

Jeddah port – pomegranates filled with amphetamines (September 2025)

Seizure: 12.7 million pills

Arrests: Egyptian, Syrian and Yemeni nationals

Riyadh – trafficking network dismantled (October 2024)

Arrests: 21 people, including 16 government officials

Crimes: smuggling, substitution of seized drugs, information leaks

Al-Jouf – farm raid (July 2023)

Seizure: 1.8 million amphetamine pills

Arrests: 3 Saudis, 1 Yemeni

Gulf of Oman – naval operation (September 2022)

Seizure: 3,330 kg of hashish and heroin

Forces: CTF-150, led by Saudi Arabia

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