1st Ld Writethru: Dutch police look for 2 suspects in "jihadi drug" case

Dutch police are still searching for two suspects who fled a raid in Brunssum, south Limburg, where a large number of pills similar to drugs used by jihads were found, local media reported Wednesday.

During a raid on April 5 in Brunssum, a drug lab was discovered hidden in a barn. Pills with the logo of Captagon and raw materials, as well as a machine for making tablets were found. In a neighboring house, three firearms were found.

"The occupant of the neighboring house, a 40-year-old man, was arrested on April 11. His 39-year-old girlfriend was arrested on May 8. ...Just before the police raid two men fled. The investigation is still underway to identify the two men," said the police.

Analysis by the Netherlands Forensic Institute found that the seized pills contain two ingredients, amphetamine and caffeine.

"The pills were of a type used as a stimulant in the Middle East but it was not known if that was their destination," said the police.

Captagon is a popular drug among combatant groups in the Middle East, where it is used as an "upper" to keep fighters awake and alert. It is the first time this sort of pill has been found in The Netherlands, reported Dutch daily Telegraaf.

Meanwhile, Italy's financial police revealed this week that they had uncovered 37.5 million pills of another drug -- tramadol -- also used by Islamist fighters, BBC reported on Wednesday.

The cargo was heading for Libya. Tramadol is a synthetic opioid-like drug used as a painkiller.

Italian police said the consignment would have been used for two purposes -- to help finance Islamist terrorism and for use by jihadist fighters as a stimulant and to heighten resistance to physical stress. Endit