Part of a haul of over 850,000 illegal Captagon pills seized in southern Syria, with an estimated value of $3.5 million. Captagon is a stimulant which was prescribed in the 1960s for conditions such as ADHD, narcolepsy and depression, but was banned by many countries around 1986, as the addictive properties and long-term side-effects were deemed to outweigh the medical benefits. These adverse effects include extreme depression, sleep deprivation, heart and blood vessel toxicity, and malnutrition. Use and trade is still prevalent in Europe and the Middle East, where it is used both recreationally and as a stimulant for soldiers in combat. The active ingredient in Captagon is fenethylline hydrochloride. This is broken down in the body to produce amphetamine and theophylline, which stimulate the central and cardiac nervous systems. Photographed on 23 October 2019.