A Lebanese soldier inside the factory in Yammouneh. (Photo released by the Lebanese Army)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army announced on Monday that it had dismantled a major Captagon manufacturing facility in Baalbeck district's Yammouneh village, in the Bekaa, describing the vast complex as "one of the largest labs seized to date."
A patrol from the army's intelligence unit, accompanied by troops, raided the site, seized a "large quantity" of Captagon pills, methamphetamine, and "other drugs," and dismantled about 10 tons of equipment and machinery, according to the statement. Some of the equipment was destroyed while other pieces were sent in to support the investigation.
An army bulldozer was deployed to "fill in a tunnel about 300 meters long, used to access the factory and store part of the equipment." The army's statement, posted on X, is accompanied by a video showing the operation.
The seized products were handed over to the judicial authorities, who have launched an investigation. No arrests were made during the raids, and the army said that efforts were still underway to identify individuals involved in the drug manufacturing cell.
Both Lebanese and Syrian authorities have been stepping up their crackdowns on the drug trade in their respective countries. Two weeks ago, the Lebanese Army seized large quantities of raw materials used for Captagon manufacturing. Two days prior, Syrian security forces had intercepted a shipment of drugs entering the country from Lebanon.
Captagon is a cheap synthetic drug that was largely produced in small-scale factories in Syria under the regime of fallen dictator Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia in December 2024. Factories were largely located along the Syrian-Lebanese border region and some remain in operation.
Hezbollah, an ally of the Assad regime, is said to be involved in several Captagon networks, as are Lebanese Shiite clans based in northern Bekaa's Hermel district.
