QAMISHLI, Syria (AFP) — At his shop in northeast Syria, Ayaz Ibrahim wiped the dust off bottles of alcohol he said had become too pricey for customers following new regulations from the Islamist authorities.

Residents of the region, which is home to many Kurds, have been feeling the pinch since Damascus took control of the nearby Semalka border crossing with Iraq in April under a deal to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the state.

Syria's new Islamist leaders — who toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024 — have not officially prohibited importing alcohol but have imposed hefty new taxes and stricter rules on its consumption.

As a result, the entry of alcohol via the crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan has become more restricted, "and now only smuggled alcohol reaches us," said Ibrahim, 30, from the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli.

"Anything smuggled has a much higher price, plus transport costs... so it's gone up a lot," he told Agence France-Presse.

While Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol, Syria's Muslim-majority Kurdish community is considered relatively liberal on the matter, though some still avoid drinking in public.

This year, Syrian media outlets circulated a finance ministry decision to increase taxes on alcoholic beverages, requiring importers and producers to foot the bill.

Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh later justified the move on social media, saying it aimed to "limit the consumption of products that are damaging to health."