Iraq says 17 tonnes of drugs seized since 2023 in joint anti-trafficking push

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Interior Ministry said 16,800 kilograms of narcotics have been seized across the country since 2023, following joint operations with the Kurdistan Region's security forces. The figure was announced at a press conference in Sulaymaniyah by ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Abbas Bahadli. Bahadli said intensive intelligence work had dismantled an international network that was shipping drugs and stimulants into a neighboring country. In one operation, officers found 38 kilograms of crystal meth hidden inside a vehicle's tires, and members of the network were detained. The spokesperson said Iraqi courts had issued 380 death sentences and 150 life prison terms against drug traffickers during the same period. Interpol red notices have also been issued for 190 people charged with cross-border drug smuggling. Sixteen specialized treatment centers have been established nationwide for drug addicts, according to the ministry. Of the 9,500 people who have sought treatment, more than 8,000 have completed rehabilitation programs. Bahadli said Iraq ranks first in the region for counter-narcotics work and that coordination between federal security agencies and Kurdistan Region units would continue.