Iraq foils second drug drop over two days in Al-Anbar

Shafaq News – Al-Anbar

Iraqi security forces on Thursday intercepted an attempt to smuggle 12 kilograms of narcotics across the border with Syria in western Al-Anbar.

In a statement, the Border Forces Command said the drugs were transported using an aerial balloon, confirming that an official report was filed and legal action initiated.

The command noted that a similar attempt was stopped the previous day involving about 20 kilograms of narcotics.

Al-Anbar, with its long and sparsely monitored borders, has recorded several unconventional smuggling operations in recent months, including a balloon carrying 245,000 captagon pills in September and another carrying 22,000 pills in November.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime classifies Iraq’s western and southern corridors—particularly Al-Anbar—as key transit routes for captagon trafficking from neighboring states.

Read more: The Smuggler's Almanac: Iraq's war against narco-innovation

Iraq has expanded its anti-narcotics campaign in recent years, dismantling more than 1,200 trafficking networks and seizing over 14 tons of illegal substances as smuggling methods grow increasingly sophisticated.