Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraq’s General Directorate for Drug and Psychotropic Substances dismantled a drug trafficking network, confiscating 150 kilograms of narcotics.

In a statement, the Directorate explained that the operation spanned three provinces, starting in Baghdad, passing through Karbala, and concluding in Basra.

“Authorities apprehended the network's leader and four members, including a foreign national. Legal proceedings have been initiated against them to ensure they face justice,” the directorate affirmed.

The operation follows a broader crackdown by Iraq's Ministry of Interior, which recently reported dismantling 600 international and domestic drug trafficking networks.

The Ministry also revealed that over 7,000 individuals were convicted of drug-related crimes in 2023, with sentences ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty and other terms.

Iraq, historically regarded as a transit route for narcotics moving from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe and the Gulf states, has increasingly become a major consumer of various drugs. This shift has been attributed to the instability and economic challenges that have plagued the country since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.