DAMASCUS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Syrian authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of Captagon pills in the southern Daraa province and dismantled a drug trafficking network in the northern Aleppo province, Syria's SANA news agency reported on Friday.

Khaled Eid, director of Syria's Anti-Narcotics Department, was quoted as saying that in a recent operation in Daraa, the department seized a large number of Captagon pills concealed in food jars -- specifically tomato paste -- before they could be smuggled out of the country.

In a separate operation in Aleppo, the department broke up a drug trafficking network and confiscated about 200,000 Captagon pills, according to the report.

Eid said the operations are part of ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and safeguard public security.

Captagon, the trademark name for the synthetic stimulant fenethylline, was developed in the 1960s to treat conditions such as hyperactivity, narcolepsy and depression. Due to its high potential for addiction, it was later banned in most countries during the 1980s.

Syrian authorities have reiterated their commitment to combating drug trafficking and have urged citizens to assist by reporting any suspicious activities. Enditem