Antalya: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced the seizure of nearly 4 million Captagon pills in the coastal province of Latakia, according to a statement Saturday by the Anti-Narcotics Department.

According to Anadolu Agency, the operation was carried out by the Anti-Narcotics Department in Latakia following precise intelligence regarding suspicious activity at a specific location, as reported by the state-run SANA news agency. Security forces conducted careful surveillance of the site before launching a coordinated raid in cooperation with the Security General Directorate.

Authorities discovered a warehouse containing a press used to manufacture Captagon pills, along with a large quantity of pills already prepared for smuggling. Officials said the pills were concealed inside 5,000 iron rods, which were being prepared for export abroad.

In a significant political development, Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963. Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.