Iraq seizes 73 toxic Datura plants in Diyala village

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Diyala's Directorate of Agriculture said 73 Datura plants with narcotic properties were seized in the village of Kaluz in the Wihhiyeh district and destroyed with police support. The directorate said the operation was carried out in coordination with narcotics and intelligence units and the Wihhiyeh police station. The directorate noted that two days earlier, 250 Datura plants had been identified and destroyed in the district of Khanaqin in eastern Diyala. Datura, known in English as jimsonweed, is an annual herbaceous plant that grows wild on farms, riverbanks, ruins and abandoned areas, with white or purple flowers and spiny fruits containing hundreds of toxic seeds. According to the directorate, the plant contains potent alkaloid compounds such as atropine and scopolamine that directly act on the central nervous system. It warned that inhaling the powder, touching the plant or ingesting its seeds can cause dilated pupils, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, severe visual and auditory hallucinations, and sudden coma or death. The directorate added that national legislation and international health bodies list Datura among poisonous plants and prohibited psychotropic substances, and that its seeds can remain viable in soil for years, posing serious security and environmental risks through rapid spread. No further details were immediately available.