Iraqi forces arrest drug traffickers with 20,000 narcotic pills

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraqi security forces arrested a terrorist and drug traffickers in three governorates.

The Baghdad Directorate General of Intelligence and Security announced that its teams arrested a terrorist with an active arrest warrant under Article (1/4) of the Anti-Terrorism Law while he was located in a central Baghdad area.

Additionally, the teams successfully targeted drug trafficking hubs in Baghdad, arresting two drug dealers, with 20,000 narcotic pills in their possession, which they intended to distribute in various areas of the capital. “Legal action was taken against them under Article (28) of the Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law,” the directorate stated.

In the same context, the directorate's teams managed to apprehend three individuals wanted by the judiciary on drug trafficking charges in Babil and Najaf governorates, with arrest warrants issued under Article (28) of the Anti-Narcotics Law.

“Their statements were recorded and they were referred to the relevant authorities,” it affirmed.

For decades, Iraq was a transit route for drugs from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe and the Gulf states, but since the 2003 regime change, it has become a major consumer of various drugs.

Driven by geopolitical position, ongoing conflicts, and economic instability, drug trafficking in Iraq has escalated significantly. In response, Iraqi authorities have intensified their crackdown, arresting hundreds of domestic and international drug dealers in the first eight months of 2024.