The two largest drug cartels in Mexico have been distributing drugs in Qatar for five years, ensuring a flow of cocaine at the World Cup.

The Sinaloa Cartel, formerly run by the infamous El Chapo, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have reportedly been supplying cocaine, but also methamphetamines including the "drug of the jihadists," a potent amphetamine called captagon.

The use of the drug, also known as "the cocaine of the poor", reportedly skyrocketed amongst migrant workers from the Middle East who built the Qatari World Cup venues.

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"Without a doubt, the World Cup is not only an event in which major brands have a lot of interest. Mexican cartels are also attentive and are eyeing big business with the thousands of visitors to Qatar," commented Johan Obdola of IOSI Global Organization for Security and Intelligence.

"Those who sell it are the heirs of the criminal structure of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán," a report by Milenio said.

Obdola, who has served as anti-drug chief in his home country of Venezuela, added: "In relation to Qatar, since 2017 we detected the presence of drug cartels, specifically the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

"We are following very closely what is going to happen with this World Cup and what is going to happen with the operations of the cartels."

Mexican cartels have reportedly allied with terrorist or paramilitary groups to move their illicit substances from the Americas to the Persian Gulf.

Hezbollah is a main player in the flow of drugs, according to IOSI investigations.

"The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have already established a strategic alliance from Venezuela to Argentina with Hezbollah (…) This has been known for years," Obdola said.

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Qatar is not used to such organisations, or their propensity for violence.

"Qatar is a very small country, but the cartels are diversifying their markets. And security agencies in countries like Qatar are not used to dealing with these types of organizations.

"In Qatar, for example, they concentrate on combating other drugs coming from Pakistan or Afghanistan, but the modus operandi of the Mexican cartels is very different," he added.

Obdola said furthermore: "Different how? Violence. Pakistanis or Afghans are not as violent as Mexicans."

The drugs arrive from Latin America into West Africa then make their way through to the Gulf, bypassing laws via corruption and violence.

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