Customs seize 135 kg of captagon for first time in France

French customs officials said on Tuesday that they had intercepted 135 kilogrammes of Captagon at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport this year, a first for France.

Captagon pills seized on 30 May, 2017 by French customs STR/Douanes Francaises/AFP

Captagon, a type of amphetamine, is said to be one of the most commonly used drugs among fighters in the Syrian war.

"It is the first time that this drug has been seized in France," the customs agency said in a statement.

€1.5 millon haul

Customs officials at Charles de Gaulle discovered 350,000 Captagon pills weighing 70 kilogrammes on January 4 hidden among industrial moulds exported from Lebanon and apparently heading for the Czech Republic.

An investigation was launched by German and Czech authorities "and it revealed that the real intended destination was Saudi Arabia, by passing through Turkey", the agency said.

Saisie de 750 000 comprimés de captagon la drogue des djihadistes ds des moules industriels en provenance du Liban ➡️https://t.co/VjfAG9z0FO pic.twitter.com/4Tnxf5rBa2

— Douane Française (@douane_france) May 30, 2017

Another 67 kilogrammes of the drug were found at the airport in February, hidden in steel moulds.

Captagon is classified by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime as an "amphetamine-type stimulant" and usually blends amphetamines, caffeine and other substances.

Fighters who have taken the drug say it helps them to stay up for days and numbs the senses, allowing them to kill with abandon.