Shafaq News/ Syrian security forces arrested Farouq Qassem Al-Hamadi, a former member of the People’s Assembly under Bashar al-Assad’s collapsed regime, on charges of extortion and drug trafficking, Arab media reported on Friday.

Al-Hamadi, a native of Inkhil in northern Daraa countryside, was arrested in Daraa city following surveillance and investigation. Authorities plan to interrogate him over alleged crimes, including extortion, abuse of power, and drug-related offenses, the Arab reports indicated.

The former MP is allegedly a "key figure in political and economic corruption" in Daraa and was closely connected to senior officials in the fallen al-Assad regime. He reportedly used his influence for personal gain, exploiting families searching for their detained relatives in the former regime’s prisons and extorting them with false promises of securing their release.

Notably, Syrian security forces have been cracking down on what they call "remnants" and individuals involved in alleged al-Assad regime crimes, carrying out extensive security operations across several provinces.