Six drug dealers arrested in three operations in Sulaymaniyah

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Kurdistan Region security forces arrested six drug dealers in three separate operations in Sulaymaniyah, the Kurdistan Region Security Agency said. The agency announced the dates and seizures from each operation on Saturday. In the first operation, conducted on July 16, 2026, anti-narcotics units seized 3.5 kilograms of hashish after surveillance and investigation work, arresting both a seller and a buyer. The second operation took place on July 25, 2026, resulting in the seizure of 5.3 kilograms of opium that authorities said was being prepared for shipment to several European countries. The third operation, carried out on August 1, 2026, was based on intelligence information and field surveillance, leading to the confiscation of 149,490 narcotic pills and 350 needles containing narcotics. The agency said the seized substances were intended for smuggling into a neighboring Arab country. According to the statement, the suspects were detained under Article 25 of the Law on Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances, and the investigation remains ongoing. The agency added that the seized drugs had been prepared for smuggling outside Iraq.