LSD, marijuana, cocaine and narcotic pills
Iraq arrests major drug trafficker in Baghdad, suspect sentenced to death
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Service announced Saturday the arrest of a man described as one of Baghdad’s most dangerous drug traffickers. The suspect has been sentenced to death under Article 27 of the country’s Anti-Narcotics Law.
In a statement, the agency said the arrest followed “detailed intelligence monitoring” and led to the seizure of 1,350 LSD patches, more than 12 kilograms of marijuana, 800 grams of cocaine, 1,850 narcotic pills, and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was reportedly caught in the act and referred to the Third Karkh Criminal Court, which issued the death sentence.
The announcement came hours after authorities reported the arrest of a foreign traveler at the Shalamcheh border crossing, where 1.45 kilograms of crystal meth were found hidden inside slices of bread and a sealed metal pipe.
Iraq continues to crack down on drug trafficking and abuse. In 2023, authorities arrested more than 19,000 people for drug-related offenses, seized over 15 tons of narcotics, and reported at least 17 suspects killed during confrontations with security forces.
Between January and August 2024, courts issued 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences for drug crimes. So far this year, authorities have seized 2.156 tons of narcotics and arrested 1,559 people, including 194 foreign nationals.
On March 16, security forces announced the seizure of more than one metric ton of captagon tablets smuggled from Syria via Turkey.
