close
close

Almost a ton of drugs seized in Iraq

Almost a ton of drugs seized in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – More than a ton of narcotics were seized by Iraqi security forces in the first ten months of this year as efforts to combat the spread of drugs in the country intensify.

“The central investigation court seized hundreds of kilos of narcotics,” Judge Walid Ibrahim said, according to state media. He added that the total amount seized from the beginning of the year to mid-October exceeded one tonne.

About 75 percent consisted of Captagon, an amphetamine-type stimulant that has spread throughout the Middle East, where Syria is the main supplier and Saudi Arabia is the primary consumer.

The judge stated that in the same period, 75 death sentences were given, including 6 foreigners, and 20 were given aggravated sentences.

Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces busted an internationally affiliated drug trafficking network and seized more than 150 kilograms of Captagon narcotic pills, according to the interior ministry.

The Iraqi judiciary has imposed strict sentences for drug-related crimes, including 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences (20 years in Iraqi law) on smugglers and traffickers since the beginning of 2023, according to data from the interior ministry.

In July 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered the establishment of rehabilitation centers in all Iraqi provinces except the Kurdistan Region, as part of his cabinet’s commitment to combat the increasing drug trade and use as seriously as the country’s struggle. terrorism.

According to Baghdad’s statement, more than 19,000 people were arrested on drug-related charges across Iraq in 2023 and more than 15 tons of psychotropic substances were seized.