Iraq arrests 40,000 in drug-related crimes over three years, report says

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances and other security institutions have arrested 40,000 individuals involved in drug-related crimes between 2022 and 2024, Fadel Al-Gharawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, said on Wednesday.

Al-Gharawi stated, according to a report released by the center, that the General Directorate dismantled 230 international and local drug trafficking networks during 2023 and 2024.

“Statistics revealed that crystal methamphetamine is the most abused substance in Iraq, accounting for 37.3% of cases, followed by Captagon at 34.35%, with other drugs comprising 28.35%,” he explained.

Al-Gharawi urged the government to enhance regional and international cooperation, develop awareness and treatment programs for addicts through rehabilitation centers that meet international standards, and strengthen security capabilities to address evolving trafficking and smuggling methods.

He also called for amending Iraq’s law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances which was established in 2017 “to impose harsher penalties on drug dealers.”

The report recommended launching a nationwide awareness campaign on the dangers of drugs and adopting a national anti-drug strategy.

Earlier, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced that in 2023, over 7,500 individuals were arrested for drug trafficking. Among those arrested, 3,560 individuals remained in pre-trial detention.