Are Islamic State fighters 'high on cocaine'? Stash found at leader's house in Kobane

A new video footage has emerged of what seems to be the Islamic State leader Abu Zahra’s cocaine stash in Kobane. This video by Vice News_,_  could be the first confirmed and concrete evidence of drug use among IS fighters and the news organisation claims it shows us the contradicting nature of the fanatical men who preach religious piety, but are getting high as they kill thousands. [caption id=“attachment_2034069” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Screen Grab from vice video.[/caption] According to the video, Kurdish fighters found a bag of cocaine at the home of IS leader, Emir Abu Zahra, after killing him in a military operation in the war-ravaged city of Kobane in Syria. The discovery of the powder suggests widespread drug use by the IS fighters which is very much against the doctrines and principles of Islam. It is widely believed that Zahra distributed the drug among his fighters to boost their morale. The extensive bombings and airstrikes by the Iraqi Peshmerga and the US Air Force have started to weigh heavily on the Islamic State fighters. The video is unconfirmed, but it comes following reports in November last year that billions of dollars worth of cocaine is smuggled to Europe by routes controlled by terrorist groups who have pledged support to the Islamic State. In November, the International Business Times claimed that the profits from the cocaine trade have been used to fund armoured vehicles, missiles and guns.  The Spanish intelligence sources have added weight to that statement and said jihadist groups including IS are using drugs to finance their quest in Iraq and Syria, using knowledge of smuggling routes to export arms and drugs including cocaine, heroin and hashish. IS has a very strict drug policy. In the past Islamic State’s propaganda videos have shown the extremist group whipping three drug addicts near Damascus. The captions on the video being circulated suggested the men were being punished for taking illegal substances, in accordance with Sharia Law reports the Daily Mail. Watch the video here: