Iraqi forces seize drugs in Basra Governorate crackdown

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced the crackdown on drug traffickers in Basra Governorate.

The Ministry of Interior and the Security Media Cell spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Miqdad Miri said in a statement, “Upon receiving confessions from apprehended international drug traffickers, a specialized force from the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances took action to execute arrest and investigation orders for fugitive traffickers in Basra Governorate, in coordination with the Basra Narcotics Directorate."

"The force arrested three key dealers and seized 40 kilograms of narcotic marijuana, acting under Article 27 of the Anti-Narcotics Law," he added.

Last May, the Interior Ministry's spokesperson, Brigadier Miqdad Miri, described drug trafficking as a "critical threat" to Iraq's national security, vowing that authorities would maintain "high pressure" on drug networks.

Iraq's drug problem has reached critical levels. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the country has become a major transit route for illegal drugs.

Iraq has over 3,637 kilometers of land border with Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkiye. Its strategic location means that it is also a conduit for the flow of drugs between Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe.

In a 2024 report by the UNODC titled: Drug Trafficking Dynamics Across Iraq and the Middle East: Trends and Responses, Iraq and neighboring countries found that Iraq is at risk of becoming an increasingly important node in the drug trafficking ecosystem spanning the Near and Middle East.

"Within Iraq, drugs are trafficked along three key internal corridors, including in the north, central, and southern regions of the country." The report pointed out.

Iraq established its first drug law and commission in 2017 and launched a National Strategy on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (2023–2025) in 2023. Moreover, Iraq organized the first regional event on the issue in 2023 to accelerate collaboration and coordinate drug detection and disruption efforts.

In December 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani made a controversial statement urging the president of the country to ratify all death sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

He said this is necessary to "implement the law and be a deterrent to anyone who dares to threaten the security of the country and its people."