Five drug suspects arrested after Basra shooting

Shafaq News- Basra

Basra security forces arrested five suspected drug dealers after one opened fire on narcotics officers, wounding one of them, the provincial police command said on Tuesday.

The shooting occurred after officers surrounded the suspect's home in Umm Qasr. He opened fire on the officers and fled, wounding the officer leading the team.

Later that night, security forces tracked down the gunman and arrested him along with four other suspects.

Police seized 150 grams of narcotics, an electronic scale, two drug pipes, cash, counterfeit US dollars, and the weapon allegedly used in the shooting.

In July, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said authorities had seized 16.8 tons of narcotics since 2023, while courts issued 380 death sentences, 150 life sentences and 190 international arrest warrants in drug trafficking cases.