By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2025-10-30

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has caused severe harm to Middle Eastern societies by supporting and encouraging criminal networks engaged in illegal activities, primarily the trafficking and manufacture of narcotics, experts told Al-Fassel

With youth being the most targeted group, continued efforts are necessary to curb these activities, which persist even after the IRGC's withdrawal from Syria and the crippling of its capabilities elsewhere.

On October 22, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced that the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, in direct coordination with Iraq's General Directorate of Narcotics Affairs, carried out a special operation that thwarted an attempt to smuggle large quantities of narcotics across the border with Iraq.

A total of 108 kilograms of hashish and 1.27 million Captagon pills were seized, and several of internationally wanted suspects involved in the smuggling networks were arrested.

Destabilizing the region

The IRGC has always thrived by destabilizing Middle Eastern countries to establish loyal proxies.

"These groups then engage in various illegal activities, including violence, murder, terrorism, and drug trafficking," Sheyar Turko, an expert on IRGC, told Al-Fassel.

"The IRGC has created regional and international criminal networks for illicit trade, money laundering, and smuggling funds to its proxies. It also targets youth to disrupt social stability and facilitate its control," he said.

Serving as the IRGC's main lifeline, these networks fund its operations.

"In response, regional countries are working aggressively to curb these crimes and protect their borders from narcotics," Turko said.

Syria ends a shameful legacy

"The IRGC supported the former Syrian regime with smuggling, drug trafficking, and money laundering networks, which prolonged its ability to commit atrocities against the Syrian people," Syrian journalist Mohammed al-Abdullah told Al-Fassel.

He stressed that these networks must be "eliminated" to prevent security destabilization and the manipulation of Syrian and regional societies with narcotics.

"The IRGC has made drugs its primary funding source, effectively turning Syria into the world's Captagon capital," he said.

The new Syrian authorities are focused on completely eliminating drug smuggling operations across their borders through cooperation with neighboring countries.

"This effort recently resulted in the seizure of large quantities of narcotics intended for regional smuggling," al-Abdullah added.

He noted "that the result has a dual benefit: neighboring countries are freed from the poisons targeting their youth, while Syria eliminates a shameful legacy of former regime"