ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syrian security forces said Friday they thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics from Lebanon into the country, seizing 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills following an armed confrontation with smugglers.

The operation took place in the town of Serghaya in Damascus countryside province, where smugglers opened fire on Syrian border guards, triggering an armed confrontation that prompted the gunmen to “flee toward Lebanese territory,” SANA reported, citing the defense ministry’s communication directorate.

“The operation resulted in the seizure of 280 kilograms of hashish and 28,000 Captagon pills, with the seized items referred to the competent authorities to complete legal procedures,” the report added.

In October, two other attempts to smuggle narcotics into Syria were foiled by customs authorities at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, resulting in the seizure of more than half a million Captagon pills “coming from Lebanon.”

Syria has also coordinated with neighboring countries to curb drug trafficking. In June, a joint operation with Iraqi forces resulted in the seizure of 200 kilograms of narcotics and the arrest of nine suspected traffickers.

Captagon, the brand name for the amphetamine-type psychostimulant fenethylline, was mainly produced and distributed in Syria during Bashar al-Assad’s regime. It is mainly used in the Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia being the main consumer.

Since Assad’s fall in Syria, the new authorities in Damascus have repeatedly announced the mass seizure of drugs around the country, but neighbouring countries continue to report the interception of shipments.

Damascus has also come under pressure from the international community to crack down on the Captagon trade.