Iraq arrests suspected drug trafficker with 32 kg of Captagon near Saudi border

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that security forces detained a suspected drug trafficker near the Arar border crossing in Anbar province, describing him as a central figure in a narcotics smuggling network. The ministry said the operation was carried out by the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances based on intelligence, adding that the suspect had been monitored over an extended period before being apprehended. Officers seized approximately 32 kilograms of Captagon while the man was attempting to move the drugs into neighboring countries, according to the statement. The Arar crossing lies along Iraq's western frontier with Saudi Arabia. The ministry did not disclose the suspect's identity or nationality, and no further details were immediately available. The case has been referred to the competent judicial authorities, the ministry said, adding that tracking of smuggling networks and the targeting of major traffickers would continue as part of efforts to curb cross-border drug flows.