Baghdad court sentences drug trafficker to life imprisonment

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Central Criminal Court sentenced a defendant to life in prison after convicting him of drug trafficking in Baghdad, the court's media office said. The defendant admitted to buying and selling cannabis and was caught in the act at a gym, according to the statement. The court said the arrest followed surveillance of the suspect, who was taken into custody before the investigation was completed. Authorities did not release the defendant's name. The sentence was issued under Article 27/a of Law No. 2017 on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, along with Articles 47, 48 and 49 of the Penal Code. The case is part of ongoing proceedings in Baghdad targeting drug trafficking.