Drug trafficking charges
Suspect arrested in Duhok allegedly possessing 35 kilograms of crystal meth
DUHOK — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate announced on Saturday that it had arrested an individual in alleged to be in possession of 35 kilograms of crystal meth, charging them with drug trafficking.
A source from the directorate informed 964media that the suspect was arrested Friday and is currently detained under the Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law, pending investigation.
This arrest follows the directorate’s announcement four days earlier about the detention of four individuals suspected of involvement in the narcotics trade in two separate cities within the Kurdistan Region. The identities of these individuals have not been released.
In the past year, the region saw the arrest of 3,353 people linked to the narcotics trade and use. In the first five months of 2024 alone, 1,322 arrests were made across the governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok. Of these, 585 were in Sulaymaniyah. The remaining 737, arrested in Erbil and Duhok, included 403 individuals directly involved in the narcotics trade.
Nationally, the Anti-Narcotics Directorate reported a significant escalation in its efforts against drug-related crimes. In 2024, the directorate apprehended 6,000 suspects and seized 10 tons of various drugs.
In the previous year, Iraqi authorities captured 144 international drug traffickers, leading to the confiscation of four tons of narcotics, 15 tons of psychotropic substances, 1,700 firearms, and 1,200 vehicles.
Iraqi interior minister discusses security, drugs and coordination with Kurdistan Region
