Kurdistan Region says more than 1,000 drug dealers arrested in current cabinet term

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Regional Government has arrested more than 1,000 drug and stimulant dealers during the current cabinet term, the government's international recommendations coordinator, Dindar Zibari, said at an anti-drug conference in Erbil on Wednesday. He said those detained are being held in rehabilitation and detention facilities in the region while their legal proceedings are completed and sentences are carried out. Zibari said the government's response is not limited to security and deterrence measures, noting that steps have also been taken to address addiction. Six specialized health centers have been established under institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to provide rehabilitation and treatment for users. He described the centers as part of a human and therapeutic approach aimed at reintegrating addicts into society, adding that they are designed to support recovery alongside the wider law enforcement effort.