A view of Penjwen district, Sulaymaniyah Governorate. (Photo: 964media)
Four kg of crystal meth seized
Five arrested in Penjwen drug bust after armed clash
PENJWEN — Five people suspected of drug trafficking were arrested Monday following an armed confrontation in the Penjwen district of Sulaymaniyah, authorities said. One suspect sustained injuries during the operation.
A statement from the Kurdistan Region Security Agency said officers seized four kilograms of crystal methamphetamine during the bust.
Penjwen location in Sulaymaniyah governorate
Penjwen, which borders Iran and serves as a key transit point through the Bashmakh border crossing, has become a hotspot for drug-related activity.
The clash erupted in the district’s central market when gunfire erupted from a vehicle, injuring one person, officials reported. A witness told 964media that plainclothes security personnel clashed with several suspected drug traffickers.
Drug-related cases in Penjwen have tripled in 2024 compared with 2023. In 2023, authorities recorded 12 cases of drug use and trafficking—including one trafficking incident and 11 instances of drug use. By 2024, that number had risen to 46, with five involving trafficking.
Data released Dec. 11, 2024, by the Directorate for Combating Narcotics under the Kurdistan Regional Security Agency—responsible for the Sulaymaniyah and Halabja governorates—showed that 1,019 individuals have been arrested on drug-related charges this year.
