No escape: Iraq’s drug traffickers face justice

Shafaq News/ Iraqi authorities have intensified their anti-drug operations, arresting multiple suspects and sentencing traffickers as part of broader efforts to curb narcotics smuggling and distribution.

In a statement on Monday, the Al-Rusafa Police Command revealed that a specialized task force conducted a well-planned ambush in Baghdad Al-Jadida, east of the Iraqi capital, leading to the arrest of three suspects—one dealer and two distributors—caught in the act.

“The suspects were found in possession of crystal meth and drug paraphernalia,” the Command stated, pointing out that during interrogation, they confessed to transporting and distributing the drug in the targeted area.

Separately, the Najaf Criminal Court sentenced three drug traffickers to life imprisonment after convicting them of possessing 1.329 kilograms of hashish and methamphetamine, along with 48 narcotic pills and drug paraphernalia intended for distribution.

On March 16, Iraq’s Ministry of Interior disrupted an international drug smuggling operation, seizing a significant quantity of Captagon.

The country recorded a 15% decline in overall crime rates in 2024 compared to the previous year, with trafficking cases dropping 18% to 2,500 from 3,050 in 2023. Drug use cases fell 15%, with 4,000 recorded compared to 4,700 a year earlier, according to the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq.