A scene from the meeting chaired by Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari to review drug control efforts and security plans for the Arbaeen pilgrimage. (Photo: Interior Ministry)
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Iraq issues 81 international arrest warrants for drug traffickers
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Ministry has issued 81 international arrest warrants for drug traffickers and smugglers, officials said Sunday, as part of the country’s expanding crackdown on narcotics crimes.
Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari made the announcement while chairing a meeting of the General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, which reviewed the agency’s performance during the first half of 2025.
“The competent courts have issued international arrest warrants against 81 dangerous international drug dealers and smugglers after completing all investigative procedures,” the ministry said in a statement. The warrants were coordinated with Interpol and follow months of legal and investigative work, it added.
The announcement comes amid intensified national efforts to combat the drug trade. In June, Interior Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Miqdad Miri said nearly 656 drug trafficking networks—both domestic and international—had been dismantled over the past two years.
In the first quarter of 2025, authorities arrested 3,006 individuals for drug-related crimes, and courts issued 973 sentences, according to an April report from the General Directorate. Iraq’s 2023 figures included more than 19,000 arrests, 15 tons of narcotics seized, and at least 17 suspects killed in clashes with security forces. Between January and August 2024, courts issued 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences tied to drug offenses.
Sunday’s meeting also addressed preparations for the upcoming Arbaeen pilgrimage, during which millions of pilgrims travel to Karbala. Al-Shammari directed heightened screening of drivers transporting pilgrims to reduce traffic incidents and prevent drug traffickers from exploiting the event.
He also urged continued public education campaigns and support for individuals undergoing rehabilitation. “Work must continue to rehabilitate and reintegrate victims of drugs into society once they have fully recovered,” he said.