Courts in Dhi Qar and Najaf sentence four to prison over drug trafficking

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Heavy felony courts in Dhi Qar and Najaf sentenced four defendants on Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six years to life imprisonment on drug trafficking charges, according to security sources. The Dhi Qar Heavy Felony Court convicted two people of drug trafficking and sentenced each to six years in prison, for a combined 12 years, under Article 28 of Law No. 17 of 2017 on Combating Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances. In a separate ruling, the Najaf Heavy Felony Court issued two verdicts against defendants tried for drug trafficking in the city center, sentencing one to life imprisonment and the other to eight years. The Najaf court's decisions were based on Articles 27 and 28 of the same law. The cases reflect the ongoing judicial proceedings against narcotics smuggling in the two southern provinces.