Baghdad security forces arrest crystal meth manufacturer in major drug bust

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Agency announced the arrest of a crystal meth manufacturer in Baghdad linked to training local traffickers in the production of the drug. According to the agency, the suspect had been instructing local dealers on how to produce and distribute crystal meth, expanding the network of narcotics production in the country.

“After eight months of surveillance, our team successfully apprehended an international crystal meth trafficker,” the National Security Agency said in a statement.

A specialised team was assembled to track the suspect, who had initially been based in Basra but was later captured in Baghdad. The agency noted that he had been hiding in northern Iraq, allegedly in Sulaymaniyah, where he had established himself as a prominent figure in the international narcotics trade.

The operation led to the discovery of plans to train local traffickers in the production of crystal meth, further expanding the drug distribution network across Iraq. Security forces arrested the suspect while he was actively engaged in manufacturing the drug, and several other members of the trafficking ring were also detained.

In a related operation, the Counter-Terrorism Service reported the killing of one of Iraq’s most dangerous drug traffickers in Diwaniyah after the suspect resisted arrest and engaged in a shootout with security forces. In another incident, security forces arrested a drug dealer in Dhi Qar province.

Since the beginning of 2024, Iraqi authorities have arrested approximately 8,000 individuals in connection with narcotics crimes, seizing nearly 2.2 tons of various drugs as part of the ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking across the country.