Italian authorities announced on Friday that more than 24 million Tramadol tablets, known as “fighter drugs” for their ability to suppress fatigue, have been seized at the port of Gioia Tauro while en route from India to Libya.
“According to the information shared with foreign investigative sources, the traffic of Tramadol is directly handled by IS [Islamic State] to finance terrorist activities planned and carried out across the world,” the court of Reggio Calabria said, as quoted by AFP.
Italian authorities said the operation to seize the tablets, worth 50 million euros ($58 million), was possible due to partial assistance from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
In August, U.S.-led Coalition spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon said ISIS fighters were using drugs to maintain the “murderous fervor” and keep them alert in the fight for the Syrian city of Raqqa.