Image source, Dubai Police Image caption,

A portion of the 86 million Captagon pills police in Dubai say was seized

By Mattea Bubalo

BBC News

Police in the United Arab Emirates have seized 13 tonnes of amphetamine pills smuggled in furniture.

More than $1bn (£810m) worth of the drug known as Captagon were found after officers were alerted to a suspicious looking shipping container.

A video showed Dubai police tearing open wooden panels and doors where 86 million pills were hidden.

Dubbed "the poor man's cocaine", Captagon is reportedly one of the most popular drugs among youths in the Gulf.

The police did not mention the suspected origin of the illegal shipment, but Captagon is believed to be produced in huge quantities in Syria.

At the height of the country's civil war armed groups supplied the drug to fighters - which is highly addictive and often laced with caffeine - to boost their courage.

Deepening poverty is said to have forced many ordinary Syrians to become involved in the illegal Captagon trade, which is worth billions of dollars.

Although there have been denials from the Syrian government, reports have linked powerful figures in business and the military to the manufacturing and distribution of Captagon.