Maher al-Assad is the youngest sibling of the deposed Syrian dictator. He’s also known as the ‘enforcer’, renowned for his brutal crackdowns on protesters, and his role in Syria’s murky drugs empire. Reporter Oliver Marsden visits his abandoned house on the outskirts of Damascus and uncovers a strange lair, complete with an underground funicular, an escape tunnel, and a Jennifer Lopez DVD.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Host: Manveen Rana

Guest: Oliver Marsden, foreign correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times

Clips: Sky News, France 24, 72 Films.

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside the lair of Assad’s 'drug lord' brother 28:17 Share

The Story

Shownotes Transcript

Inside the lair of Assad’s 'drug lord' brother