Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Central Criminal Court has sentenced two drug traffickers to death for smuggling and distributing captagon, after authorities seized 128,000 pills in their possession.

The contraband was transported using a GPS-equipped hot air balloon, a method authorities say was designed to evade detection while delivering the narcotics for distribution among users.

The court issued its ruling under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017, in conjunction with Articles 47, 48, and 49 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

Drug trafficking has surged in Iraq in recent years, with security officials warning that the country is becoming both a consumer market and a key transit hub for regional smuggling. In response, authorities have intensified their crackdown, issuing 245 death sentences and 955 life terms between 2023 and 2025, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Read more: The Smuggler's Almanac: Iraq's war against narco-innovation