Iraqi Interior Ministry Dismantles International Drug Ring in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Interior Ministry’s General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances announced on Sunday that it dismantled an international drug trafficking network operating in Baghdad. Authorities arrested four suspects, including two pharmacists and one foreign national, for their alleged involvement in the trade of Lyrica pills. The operation was initiated after security forces caught a primary suspect in the act of distributing the illicit pills to local pharmacies. Following the arrest, officials seized a total of 33,000 pills, consisting of 29,000 Lyrica tablets and 4,000 other psychotropic substances. The ministry issued a formal warning to pharmacy owners, prohibiting the sale or distribution of controlled medications and psychotropic substances obtained from unofficial sources or in violation of legal regulations.