LONDON: Syrian anti-narcotics authorities announced on Sunday the arrest of Amer Jdei Al-Sheikh, a highly dangerous kingpin involved in drug networks in Syria and the Middle East region.
Al-Sheikh is wanted by several countries, including Turkiye, for serious organized crimes related to drug manufacturing and smuggling, according to Syrian authorities.
On Sunday, a joint operation between Syria’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate and their Turkish counterparts led to his arrest inside Turkish territory.
The head of Syria’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate, Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid, told SANA: “The arrested individual was traveling using forged IDs and passports in an attempt to evade security pursuit. He was tracked until he eventually entered Turkish territories, where he was arrested by Turkish authorities in coordination with Syrian counterparts and was handed over to (us).”
He said that Al-Sheikh was among the most “dangerous individuals” involved in drug smuggling networks in Syria and beyond, maintaining close ties with international smuggling rings and influential figures in the underground narcotics world.
Eid said that the suspect maintained close ties with Maher Assad, the brother of the ousted Syrian president, who is accused of spearheading the highly organized expansion of captagon facilities during the era of the former regime.
