Iraq dismantles international drug trafficking ring in joint Baghdad-Erbil operation

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi security forces, in collaboration with Kurdish authorities, have dismantled an international drug trafficking ring in a joint operation between Baghdad and Erbil, the Ministry of Interior announced.

The General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs said in a statement that a specialized task force, led by the Director of the Baghdad/Rusafa Drug Affairs Directorate and supported by the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Erbil, was formed to target the gang.

"The operation, which was based on precise intelligence, resulted in the arrest of three individuals in Erbil linked to international drug trafficking and the seizure of 30 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine."

Last January, the governments of Baghdad and Erbil formed a unified task force to combat drug trafficking in Iraq. This collaboration marks the first time in Iraq's history that such a coordinated effort has been made between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to tackle the rising drug-related crimes across Iraq and improve overall security in the region.

The task force has already seen some success, including the seizure of high amount of narcotics and the arrest of numerous individuals involved in drug trafficking networks.