Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Friday ordered monthly reports on anti-drug operations, including seizures and the destruction of narcotics, as Baghdad steps up its campaign against trafficking and drug use.
During a visit to the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, al-Zaidi chaired a meeting with senior officials to review recent operations and challenges facing anti-drug units.
The prime minister said government data showed significant progress in preventing drugs from entering Iraq or being trafficked through the country to neighboring states. He called for further efforts with the stated goal of making Iraq drug-free.
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He called for greater attention to people who use drugs, including treatment and rehabilitation, and directed the government to provide the directorate with the resources needed for its operations.
Iraq shares land borders with Iran, Turkiye, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and authorities have carried out repeated cross-border operations targeting trafficking networks, including along the Iranian, Syrian and Saudi frontiers.
In July, Iraqi authorities said they had seized 16.8 tonnes of narcotics since 2023. Courts issued 380 death sentences and 150 life sentences in drug-trafficking cases during the same period, while authorities obtained 190 international arrest warrants. Iraq has also opened 16 rehabilitation centers, where about 9,500 people have received treatment.