Switzerland is extending its list of sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in line with the EU decisions of April 24. Cousins of the Syrian president are targeted, as well as several entities, because of their involvement in captagon trafficking, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said on Friday. The trade in captagon, a drug belonging to the amphetamine family, has become a business model that enriches the regime's inner circle, it writes. The list includes 25 new individuals and eight new entities. Two of the Syrian president's cousins, Samer Kamal al-Assad and Wassim Badi al-Assad, were sanctioned. A third family member, Mudar Rifaat al-Assad, and several leaders, businessmen and militia members affiliated with the regime and involved in the drug trade are also on the list. SECO is also sanctioning several members of the military intelligence service. Among the companies targeted are the Russian engineering and construction company...
