Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Iraqi border forces thwarted on Wednesday three separate smuggling attempts involving drug-filled air balloons along the Iraqi-Syrian border west of Al-Anbar province.

In a statement, the Border Guards Command said units from the Fourth Regiment of the Fifth Border Brigade, the First Regiment of the Sixth Brigade, and the Second Regiment of the Twelfth Brigade detected the balloons using thermal cameras before tracking and shooting them down during field operations.

The command indicated that the operations resulted in the seizure of around 479,000 narcotic pills weighing a total of 87 kilograms, which were allegedly intended for smuggling into Iraq.

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