Iraq seizes about 30 kg of hashish

Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated at 12:37)

Iraq's Interior Ministry said on Monday that anti-narcotics forces arrested a suspected drug dealer and seized 29 kilograms of hashish, a concentrated cannabis resin, while the Supreme Judicial Council announced the destruction of 239 kilograms of narcotic substances seized in Basra.

Investigators, according to the Interior Ministry, tracked the suspect through intelligence work and GPS technology before arresting him while he was allegedly preparing to receive the drug shipment. It described the suspect as a "dangerous dealer" who had experience evading surveillance and changing smuggling and distribution methods.

The Supreme Judicial Council also announced Monday the destruction of 239.8 kilograms of narcotic substances seized in Basra, along with over 1,388 narcotic tablets and 202 bottles of codeine.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry dismantled 230 drug trafficking networks, including 27 international rings, over the past three years. Crystal meth accounted for the largest share of consumption nationwide at 37.3%, followed by Captagon at 34.3%. Most users were between the ages of 15 and 30, with higher prevalence recorded in impoverished communities.