Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraqi security forces on Sunday intercepted an attempt to smuggle more than 30 kilograms of narcotics across the border with Syria in western Al-Anbar.

In a statement, the Border Forces Command confirmed that the drugs were transported using an aerial hot-air balloon, describing the process as an increasingly frequent tactic employed by traffickers to bypass ground surveillance.

Al-Anbar province—known for its long, porous borders—has recorded multiple unconventional smuggling attempts in recent months. Earlier interceptions included a balloon carrying 245,000 captagon pills in September and another transporting 22,000 pills in November.

At the international level, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime identifies Iraq’s western and southern corridors, particularly Al-Anbar, as major transit routes for captagon trafficking originating from neighboring countries.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry previously reported dismantling 1,201 drug networks over the past three years, including 171 international groups. Nationwide operations have resulted in the seizure of more than 14 tons of narcotics, while courts issued 2,318 rulings against offenders, including 300 death sentences and 1,147 life sentences.

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