EU targets Syrian leader’s family over amphetamine business

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has slapped sanctions on several Syrians, including members of President Bashar Assad’s family. The bloc accuses them of making and trafficking an amphetamine that enriches and helps to prop up the regime. Asset freezes and travel bans were imposed on 25 people and 8 “entities,” mostly companies. An EU statement says Monday’s move targets “individuals and entities responsible for the production and trafficking of narcotics, notably Captagon.” Experts say Captagon is primarily produced in Syria and neighboring Lebanon, where packages containing millions of pills are smuggled into Gulf countries, Europe and elsewhere. According to British estimates, the Captagon industry is worth $57 billion to Assad.