Captagon drug used by Hamas terrorists during Oct 7 massacre reaches Tel Aviv club scene

Hamas Nukhba terrorists were reportedly under the influence of Captagon – a highly addictive stimulant dubbed 'the poor man’s cocaine' – when they carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 others. Captagon, now classified in Israel as a party drug, has made its way into Tel Aviv’s nightlife scene through smuggling from Arab and Muslim countries.

Israel police chief inspector Dr. Uriel Bertler, an authority at Israel’s National Narcotics Laboratory, warned about the dangers of using Captagon, which has been nicknamed the “Nukhba" drug because of its connection to the Hamas atrocities.

In late October 2023, just weeks after the Oct. 7 terror attack, Israeli authorities discovered Captagon pills in the pockets of Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

"Its active ingredient is amphetamine, a powerful stimulant classified as a controlled substance," he assessed. "We seize tens of thousands of tablets every year."

Many partygoers in Israel may not be aware that they are consuming the drug.

"This drug itself isn't new," an unnamed security expert stated. "Its chemical name is fenethylline. 'Captagon' is just one of its commercial names. It was originally developed in the early 1960s as a medication for children with attention disorders."

"It reduces fatigue and suppresses appetite, boosts self-confidence, and generally enhances performance, to the point that in the 1990s, some Olympic athletes used it illegally to improve their athletic abilities," the expert added.

The security authority noted that Captagon poses a serious threat due to its high addictiveness and relatively low cost.

"Once it was outlawed, it started flooding the streets illegally and became known as ‘poor man’s cocaine'. It’s a synthetic stimulant that costs much less than cocaine – less than half the price – because it is made in substandard, unregulated labs. That, combined with aggressive marketing, makes it so widespread," he warned.

While the flow of Captagon into Israel has increased since the Oct. 7 attack, the security experts stressed that it also existed earlier on a smaller scale, "mainly in the Arab community, East Jerusalem, and Bedouin tribes in the south," where law enforcement is often lower than in the rest of Israeli society.

"We are seeing more attempts to bring substances labeled as Captagon into Israel, primarily via Egypt and Jordan. But like with all illicit drugs, we don’t always know their exact composition, or whether they contain other harmful substances,” the expert explained.

Despite the risks, another security official, identified as R., emphasized that Captagon smuggling into Israel has not yet reached large-scale levels.

"It’s not yet being smuggled in massive quantities by every means possible. It’s not an extreme phenomenon yet, but it’s a drug we’re aware of, and there are attempts to sneak it in, sometimes in very creative ways."

The security official also detailed the challenges in intercepting the drug. "Most traffickers conceal the drug inside vehicle parts, such as structural beams or hidden compartments", he revealed. For example, tens of thousands of Captagon pills were found stashed inside pickup truck beams. They also hide tablets inside body cavities, including intimate parts. But those are usually smaller quantities," he added.