Iraq security forces seize 160,000 pills, rescue kidnapped engineer in three provinces

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi security forces seized 160,000 narcotic pills, freed a kidnapped engineer and recovered ransom money in coordinated operations across Anbar, Basra and Najaf on Wednesday evening, the Interior Ministry said. Multiple suspects were also detained. The ministry's General Directorate of Narcotics Affairs reported that 160,000 Captagon pills hidden inside a tanker-type vehicle arriving from a neighboring country were confiscated in Anbar, and that all eight members of the trafficking network were arrested. In Basra, Federal Intelligence and Investigation units tracked down an armed group that had abducted an engineer and moved him to Dhi Qar, where the hostage was rescued, three captors were apprehended and 200 million dinars in ransom were recovered. The Basra operation followed intelligence leads, including the formation of a technical and intelligence team, aerial surveillance of the hostage and a court-approved raid. The freed engineer underwent a medical check before being handed over to his family along with the recovered ransom. In Najaf, the Kufa District Police Directorate detained 36 people wanted under various legal provisions and registered 33 firearms as part of weapons control measures. Authorities said the operations were part of ongoing efforts to enforce judicial decisions within security forces' areas of responsibility.