KUWAIT: Packets of Captagon pills and a suspect are seen after the shipment of the drug was busted yesterday. (Inset) Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah examines a packet of pills hidden inside an air compressor. — MoI

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior announced yesterday the confiscation of about three million pills of the illegal Captagon drug hidden inside air compressors. The Drugs Control General Department (DCGD) received information that indicated an incoming cargo container had narcotics hidden inside. The container was placed under surveillance until it reached the country and the delivery was made before the raid was carried out.

Kuwaiti security authorities have recently foiled a wave of bids to smuggle narcotics into the country, which has drawn alarm from concerned authorities. In July, the Interior Ministry foiled a major attempt to bring 10 million Captagon pills worth KD 25 million into the country. Captagon, a brand name for the synthetic stimulant fenethylline, was developed in the 1960s to treat hyperactivity and narcolepsy.

It was banned in the 1980s because of its potential for abuse, but knockoff versions continue to be illegally manufactured in small-scale labs in some countries. Some militant groups in the region reportedly use it to increase their strength and prowess in battle. - KUNA