Iraq arrests of 130+ drug traffickers, seizes nearly a ton of narcotics

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Iraqi authorities announced the detention of more than 130 international and local drug traffickers, in a series of operations conducted throughout 2024.

The General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs reported that these arrests were carried out based on judicial orders from Al-Rusafa Investigation Court. “The operations, led by the Directorate’s Special Investigations Unit, resulted in the capture of 76 international traffickers and 55 local traffickers.”

Additionally, authorities seized 926 kilograms of various narcotic substances during these operations.

For decades, Iraq was a transit route for drugs from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe and the Gulf states. Since the 2003 overthrow of the former regime, however, Iraq has become a major consumer of various drugs.

From early 2024 to July, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior reported 7,000 arrests, seizures of two tons of drugs and 10 tons of psychotropic substances, and 100 death sentences or life imprisonments for drug trafficking offenses.