Shafaq News/ During the recent period, Iraqi authorities intensified efforts to combat the drug scourge, marked by increased arrests of smugglers, border crossing closures to counter smuggling, and the confiscation of substantial quantities of narcotics, particularly Captagon.

Assistant Director-General of the Directorate of Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, Maj. Gen. Hamid Nahiwi Nayef reported to Shafaq News Agency that drug trade rates have "decreased in Iraq by more than 70%," attributing this to the security efforts.

Nayef highlighted that achievements in 2023 alone are equivalent to those made in the past decade.

Furthermore, the Iraqi official noted the daily arrest of 50-70 drug traffickers and users and a recent seizure of approximately 400,000 narcotic pills in Al-Anbar governorate, along with an additional one million pills intended for smuggling to Kuwait.

In late 2023, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced judgments against 7,397 individuals for the year.

Notably, the Najaf Criminal Court recently sentenced a drug dealer to life imprisonment for possession of about a kilogram of narcotic substances. Additionally, the Popular Mobilization Forces reported a death sentence by hanging for a drug dealer linked to an international Marijuana trafficking network entering Iraq through neighboring countries' borders.

As part of the Interior Ministry's efforts, the Diyala inaugurated the largest rehabilitation center for drug addicts and users in the governorate.

Col. Abbas Kazem Hassan, Director of Drug Control in Diyala, stated that the center has specialized teams and counseling services and can accommodate 300 beds for treatment.

The Diyala center is one of 16 established nationwide and is expandable to accommodate more individuals.