Syria arrests eight in Damascus kidnapping ring and seizes weapons cache

Syria’s Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of eight members of an organized kidnapping gang operating in the Damascus countryside. The suspects were accused of abducting businesspeople, traders and owners of commercial and industrial enterprises, demanding ransoms that totalled more than $135,000. During the operation authorities seized a cache of weapons, including a PKC machine gun, assault rifles, pistols, hand grenades and ammunition, as well as several vehicles bought with ransom money. The arrested individuals confessed to four kidnappings and indicated that accomplices remain at large, prompting continued investigations.

Separately, the Syrian Ministry of Interior is undergoing a restructuring process, introducing a new visual identity and administrative reforms aimed at stabilising security institutions after years of conflict. Observers note a disparity between improved security in many cities and ongoing instability in rural areas, with issues such as theft of infrastructure and limited police presence persisting. The ministry’s reforms are intended to address legal‑judicial weaknesses and reduce arbitrary practices that characterized the previous regime.