Iraqi forces arrest international drug dealer in Dhi Qar

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Iraqi authorities arrested an international drug dealer in a major operation in the southern governorate of Dhi Qar, the Ministry of Interior announced.

The General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs said the dealer was captured following a carefully planned ambush. "A shootout ensued during the operation, resulting in the death of an officer, Hassan Abdul-Kadhim Jaafar."

The arrest is part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking in Iraq. The Ministry of Interior reported that from early 2024 to July, around 7,000 people were arrested, and authorities seized two tons of drugs and 10 tons of psychotropic substances. Approximately 30 drug traffickers were killed or injured in armed clashes, and 100 death sentences and life imprisonments were handed down for drug-related offenses between 2023 and 2024.

Last May, Interior Ministry spokesperson Brigadier Miqdad Miri labeled drug trafficking as a "critical threat" to Iraq's national security and pledged to maintain "high pressure" on drug networks.

Earlier this month, Iraq's parliamentary Health and Environment Committee urged for "stricter security" at border crossings to curb drug smuggling from neighboring countries.