Following the record discovery of hundreds of kilos of Captagon tablets in Germany in December 2023, the trial against four men began in Aachen on Wednesday. They are alleged to have sold tablets worth more than €58 million (63 million) euros abroad.
Captagon, commonly known as "poor man's cocaine," has emerged as the drug of choice among young adults throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
The 2023 bust in Germany indicates the drug could be more common in European countries than previously thought.
Captagon was made illegal in 1986 in most countries and discontinued in medical markets. However, an illicit version of Captagon emerged in eastern Europe and the Middle East in the early 2000s.
Captagon is a synthetic drug which was originally manufactured in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s where it was intended to treat attention deficit disorders.
Use of captagon is prevalent among young people in the Middle East, most commonly as a party drug.
Reports also suggest fighters in the Syrian conflict commonly use the drug to boost combat performance and reduce fatigue.
The pill contains fenethylline, a synthetic amphetamine, caffeine, and other stimulants. Fenethylline is metabolized by the body into two molecules: amphetamine and theophylline, both of which are stimulants.
Its effects on........