“Show” campaign | Regime forces arrest eight drug dealers in Damascus

Damascus province: SOHR sources have reported that regime security services arrested eight drug dealers in Al-Hemaydiyah area in Damascus. The whereabouts of the arrested drug dealers remains unknown.

Large amounts of illicit drugs were found in possession of those dealers who were tasked with distributing illicit drugs to residents in the region, especially young people, under the supervision of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

This “show” campaign comes as a part of efforts by the Syrian regime to polish its image in front of the international community and portray its security service countering drug dealers in Syria.

This coincides with the considerable proliferation of drug business throughout areas controlled by regime forces and their proxy militias, where frequent disputes take place between regime security services and drug dealers.

On November 19, SOHR sources reported that Members of Military Intelligence branch arrested a drug dealer in Falytah in western Qalamoun countryside in Rif Dimashq, following a dispute over revenue-sharing of drug business and thefts.

While on November 10, SOHR sources reported that a prominent drug dealer working for regime forces was injured, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him in Bait Jinn town in Rif Dimashq.

A day earlier, SOHR sources reported that a collaborator with the military intelligence branch of regime forces was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in front of his house in Yabroud city in Rif Dimashq, before they escaped. It is worth noting that the dead man was a prominent drug dealer in the region.

The dead man hailed from Bakha’ah village in Rif Dimashq and he was accused of handing some young men from Yabroud city and Bakha’ah village to regime security services, using malicious reports.

Following the assassination operation, military intelligence and state security forces in the city were put on high alert, along with bringing military reinforcements to Al-Hajanah battalion, amid blocking the city entrances to comb of the road connecting Ras Al-Ain and Bakha’ah towns.