The New York Times published this headline this week: “On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes – Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling Captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new “Narco-State” on the Mediterranean”, (NYT 5.12.2021, which according to NYT is organised by an army team headed by the president’s brother.
There is nothing new about this story – Forbes was covering this topic 6 years ago…
Given the sheer weight of evidence, one can only react with horror that Syria is still financing a war on its own people with deadly addictive drugs that are being sold in huge amounts around the world. Even more disturbing is that the Russian leadership, the biggest supporter of the president, must be both aware and not stopping this criminal activity.
According to other international media sources, the Russian leadership also appears to be allowing organised ransomware activities by criminals to operate in Moscow on a scale never seen before. It is estimated that groups operating from the highest modern skyscraper in Moscow have stolen more than €1 billion in ransomware this year from US companies.
Finally, the threat to Ukraine from the huge increase in Russian troops and weapons right next to the Ukrainian border is also a threat to world peace.
One can only ask the question – what’s the point of all this? Surely Russia’s great history and cultural heritage is clear enough proof of what could be possible with good intentions.
Photo: Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia
