Shafaq News – Maysan / Najaf / Babil
Iraqi courts handed down two life sentences on Monday in drug-related cases, while security forces thwarted a smuggling attempt in Babil.
The Supreme Judicial Council said the Maysan Criminal Court imposed a life term on a defendant after officers seized 91,000 Tramal pills intended for distribution. In Najaf, a security source told Shafaq News that another life sentence was handed down to a man accused of attempting to move narcotics toward Saudi Arabia through Iraqi territory.
Separately, Babil police said a night patrol in central al-Hilla stopped a license-plate-free tuk-tuk and found crystal meth hidden inside a shoe tied to the vehicle. The suspect was detained and referred to the competent authorities.
Drug trafficking has increased sharply in Iraq, with officials warning the country is becoming both a growing market and a transit route for regional networks. Between 2023 and 2025, authorities issued 245 death sentences and 955 life terms in drug cases, according to the Ministry of Interior.