PHILADELPHIA – April 18, 2025 – The Middle East Forum (MEF) has released an investigative report titled “Undercover in Syria: How MEF Built a Secret Network in the Heart of a Conflict,” (link) revealing the results of a decade-long covert operation documenting the Assad regime’s transformation into a state-sponsored drug empire.
The report details how MEF built and maintained a network of informants inside Syria who meticulously documented the regime’s drug production and trafficking operations, which reached the highest levels of Syrian leadership and extended throughout the region. The information provided actionable intelligence to the U.S. government and regional partners in real time. With the Captagon trade now greatly reduced in Syria, the time has come to reveal MEF’s efforts.
“For a decade, under the iron grip of the Assad regime, a group of brave individuals risked everything to get the truth out,” said Gregg Roman, MEF’s executive director and the report’s author. “Our investigation uncovered an elaborate criminal enterprise involving the Syrian Army’s 4th Division, Assad family members, and Hezbollah, who together transformed Syria into one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of narcotics, particularly Captagon.”
The report identifies key figures in Syria’s drug operation, including Maher al-Assad, brother of former president Bashar al-Assad and commander of the 4th Division; Brigadier General Ghassan Bilal, head of the 4th Division Security Office; and numerous Hezbollah commanders who facilitated drug trafficking between Syria and Lebanon.
“What began as a survival strategy for the regime soon evolved into a vast criminal enterprise generating billions of dollars annually,” added Roman. “With the collapse of the Assad dynasty, MEF can reveal how this clandestine operation grew into a state-sponsored drug empire that reached the highest levels of Syrian leadership.”
The investigation mapped an extensive network of smuggling routes, manufacturing facilities disguised as legitimate businesses, and financial operations that channeled drug profits to support military activities. It also documented the growing addiction crisis within Syria itself, particularly in areas recaptured from opposition forces.
The Middle East Forum’s report provides context for understanding the challenges facing Syria in its post-Assad transition and will serve as a historical record for accountability efforts and institutional reform.
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