Al-Safwan is a corridor to drugs smuggling despite being closed, local official says

Shafaq News / Mayor of Al-Safwan district in Basra Governorate, southern Iraq, revealed on Monday that drug smuggling line with Kuwait still takes place through the crossing, although the official land crossing between the two sides has been closed for months due to COVID-19 pandemic.

 The director of Al-Safwan district with Kuwait, Talib Al-Houna, told Shafaq News agency, "Al-Kadhimi's recent visit to Al-Safwan port was important to put the records straight", adding, " there is a drug smuggling line with Kuwait".

Al-Hassouna added, "Although Al-Safwan border crossing is closed with the Kuwaiti side, Narcotics Division among other intelligence and security agencies are very active in the district".

He explained, "the recent security campaign resulted in the seizure of various quantities of drugs and the arrest of their promoters, as the campaign included some farms in Al-Safwan to search for those wanted by the judiciary".

The Mayor of Al-Safwan district appealed to government agencies to, "put security controls in place to limit smuggling or arrest those wanted by the judicial authorities".

The security forces recently carried out a large-scale search campaign to confiscate the unlicensed arms that are widespread among tribesmen, armed factions and organized crime gangs, in Basra.

According to the security authorities, the security forces arrested several drug traffickers in the recent search campaign.

Iraq was seen as a corridor for transporting drugs coming from Iran, Afghanistan and other countries in the east towards Europe and the Gulf states. However, the country has turned into a major consumer of narcotic substances during the past few years.