Iraq-Iran cooperation leads to drug network busts
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Cooperation between Iraq and Iran has dismantled drug trafficking networks and reinforced preventive measures along the shared border, Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari announced on Wednesday.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference with Iraqi Health Minister Saleh Mahdi al-Hasnawi, who also heads the High Commission for Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, alongside Iran’s Vice President and Secretary-General of the Iranian Drug Control Headquarters, Hossein Zolfaghari, and senior officials from both countries’ health and interior ministries.
Al-Shammari highlighted that his ministry collaborates closely with the Health Ministry and the Commission for Combating Narcotics within the framework of international cooperation with neighboring countries.
Al-Hasnawi underscored the importance of sustained coordination between security and health authorities on both sides, highlighting the exchange of expertise, rehabilitation programs, and continued cooperation in prevention, treatment, and training as key recommendations of the meeting.
Iraq, he added, currently runs 16 addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers under the Interior Ministry, in addition to the Al-Qanah Community Rehabilitation Center—the largest in the Middle East and affiliated with the Health Ministry. Another center is under construction, along with treatment units in hospitals across Baghdad and other provinces.
In turn, Zolfaghari announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iraq to expand collaboration in prevention, training, and therapeutic areas, expressing gratitude to Iraq’s government, people, and its international partners.
For decades, Iraq served primarily as a transit route for drugs smuggled from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe and Gulf countries. Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that the country is becoming a “major hub” for drug smuggling.
Recent official data from Iraq reveal a marked increase in drug trafficking and abuse. Security forces seized narcotic pills valued at around $144 million in 2024. According to the latest Interior Ministry figures, nearly 10,000 people were arrested on drug-related charges in the same year, with over 5,000 prosecuted. The report also highlighted the success of security agencies in dismantling numerous international drug trafficking networks.
