Shafaq News- Maysan

On Tuesday, Iraq’s Directorate of Narcotics Control in Maysan province dismantled an international drug trafficking network operated by two foreign nationals in southern Iraq.

In a statement, the directorate said the intelligence-led operation resulted in the breakup of a criminal network specializing in the smuggling and transportation of crystal methamphetamine into Iraq.

The two suspects, both foreign nationals, were arrested in the act and found in possession of one kilogram of crystal meth. The directorate did not disclose the nationalities of the suspects or provide further details regarding the origin or intended destination of the seized drugs.

Smugglers recently turned to airborne balloons to move drugs across Iraq’s borders, particularly along Syrian and Jordanian routes, to evade direct contact with border patrols, Akram Al-Rashid, director of Al-Anbar’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate, told Shafaq News in November 2025.