Iraqi police arrest drug trafficking suspect wanted in 15 cases in Maysan

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Police in Iraq's southern Maysan province arrested a man wanted in 15 separate drug trafficking files and known by the nickname "Abu Shayha," the Maysan Directorate for Drug Affairs said in a written statement on Saturday. The directorate said intelligence work and field surveillance identified the suspect as the primary figure behind networks that trafficked and distributed narcotics across multiple provinces. His brothers have also received final prison sentences for drug-related offenses, according to the statement. The arrest was carried out in a remote area south of the city in coordination with the Rapid Response Forces, the directorate said. The suspect was detained along with his brother, and authorities seized narcotics and weapons from them. The directorate said operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and cutting off their supply lines would continue.