Kurdistan busts 30 kg of crystal meth in Al-Sulaymaniyah amid drug crisis

Shafaq News/ Security forces in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region have foiled a major drug smuggling attempt in the city of Al-Sulaymaniyah, seizing 30 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and arresting a foreign national suspected of trafficking the narcotics.

The Al-Sulaymaniyah General Directorate of Asayish said the seizure took place on the night of April 6 during a coordinated intelligence-led operation involving counter-narcotics units, the General Directorate of Operations, and checkpoint security. Officials said the suspect had been tracked from the borders of the Kurdistan Region to a checkpoint where the operation was executed.

“The suspect, a foreign national, was attempting to move the narcotics across the region toward the Turkish border,” the statement noted. The individual now faces prosecution under Article 25 of Iraq’s Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law and is being held under a judicial order pending further investigation.

Since the start of 2025, Kurdish authorities have arrested over 120 suspected drug traffickers and confiscated several tons of illegal substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, and synthetic pills.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has repeatedly warned of an uptick in the trafficking of synthetic drugs through Iraq and its autonomous Kurdistan Region, calling the area a “critical transit hub” in regional smuggling routes linking Iran, the Gulf, and Europe.

“Kurdistan’s position, both geographically and politically, makes it especially vulnerable to exploitation by transnational trafficking networks,” said a recent UNODC report. The agency has urged stronger cross-border cooperation and greater investment in addiction treatment and prevention programs.

Kurdish officials say they are stepping up efforts in response. "Drug trafficking and addiction are no longer fringe issues — they are public health and security emergencies," a senior Asayish official told Shafaq News. "We are coordinating more closely with international partners and reinforcing our borders."

Despite these efforts, local NGOs warn that access to rehabilitation and addiction services remains limited, particularly in rural areas. Civil society groups have called for expanded public education campaigns and increased government funding to address what they describe as a "fast-evolving crisis."

Authorities say investigations into the latest crystal meth seizure are ongoing and could reveal additional links to broader trafficking networks operating within and beyond Iraq’s borders.