Sudan: STPT – Drugs – an Illicit Economy Fuelling Sudan War

Amsterdam — Production capacity for synthetic drugs has expanded dramatically under cover of the ‘fog of war’ in Sudan – a January 2026 seizure in Red Sea State captured nearly half a tonne of drugs, mainly crystal meth. This is a signal of Sudan’s integration into a broader economy in the wake of the December 2024 collapse of Syria’s state-sponsored Captagon industry, which is relocating toward environments characterised by conflict, fragmented authority, weak border controls, and entrenched…