A light aircraft carrying one million pills of the amphetamine-type stimulant Captagon, commonly known as "jihad pills", was intercepted near the Kuwaiti border on Friday, the Middle East Eye reported, citing Iraq's Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency.
The agency reportedly said in a statement that as soon as the aircraft entered Iraqi airspace, security forces opened fire and "forced the pilot to land". However, he managed to flee across the border.
The seized Captagon pills were intended for sale inside Iraq, the agency added. According to a senior security forces officer, quoted by AFP, the aircraft came from Iran and was heading for Kuwait.
Captagon, which was originally used to treat depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, turned into a stimulant popular among fighters during the war in Syria. Sales of the drug in the Middle East increased significantly in recent years, reaching $5.7 billion in 2021, a report by the New Lines Institute released in April said.