Here is another way to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists: Deprive them of the narcotics that make them feel no pain and give them greater resilience on the battlefield.
Police in Italy did just that recently when they seized a cargo containing 37 million painkilling pills worth $75 million destined for Libya where they were allegedly due to be sold by ISIS to its fighters in the north African country, The Times of London reported.
ISIS is known to be in control of some areas along the Libyan coastline.
The haul of the drugs called tramadol was found inside three containers at the port of Genoa, marked as blankets and shampoo. The containers were set to be loaded on a freighter bound for Misrata and Tobruk in Libya when Italian authorities found out about the contraband.
According to Mayo Clinic, tramadol is an opioid analgesic that acts in the central nervous system to relieve pain. When used for a long time, tramadol may become habit-forming. The drug can only be bought with a doctor's prescription.
An Italian investigator said the ISIS is "making a fortune" in selling tramadol pills to its fighters.
The Nigerian terror group Boko Haram is also known to feed its child soldiers with dates stuffed with tramadol before sending them on combat missions, according to The Times.
Aside from tramadol, ISIS is also said to give its fighters a drug known as captagon, an amphetamine that blocks hunger, fear, and fatigue.
According to Forbes, Captagon is the drug that's fueling Syria's civil war. It is part of a family of drugs known as amphetamines, which stimulate the central nervous system, increasing alertness, boosting concentration and physical performance, and providing a feeling of well-being.
The three ISIS terrorists who attacked the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, killing at least 89 people and wounding about 100 others, reportedly had a "zombie-like" appearance and were high on Captagon.
Italian investigators said the tramadol shipment came from the Indian pharmaceuticals company Royal International, which allegedly sold the drugs for $250,000 to a Dubai-based importer. The latter then sent the shipment from India to Sri Lanka. There the records of the contraband shipment disappeared.
"The containers were then shipped to Genoa, ready to be delivered to two companies in Libya, which the US Drug Enforcement Administration has informed us are linked to ISIS," the investigator said.
He said the tramadol pills would sell for $2 each in Libya, adding: "It's addictive, but so much cheaper than cocaine or amphetamines, and someone's making a fortune."
