A Syrian citizen has been arrested by Italian authorities in connection with attempting to smuggle illicit drugs into Saudi Arabia and Libya. The arrested has been accused of international drug trafficking by the court Judge.
Over 14 tons of Captagon and three tons of Hashish were seized in the port of Salerno, a city in Italy.
Identified as Taher Al-Kayali, the 63-year old is currently on the run and is believed to no longer be on Italian soil. However, the search for the accused is still underway.
The 14 tons of Captagon seized is worth more than $1.2bn and was heading from Syria to the Europe market. The drug compound fenethylline hydrochloride was first created in the 1960s to treat ADD, narcolepsy and depression, most countries soon banned the drug as it was associated with addictive qualities.
Al-Kayali reportedly had help from two Italian citizens, one of them was a customs officer in the port of Salerno. The accused’s involvement in the crime was confirmed upon the analysis of electronic data including messages and phone calls.
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