Iraq seizes 1.35 million Captagon pills in joint operation with Syria

BAGHDAD — Iraqi authorities have dismantled a major narcotics trafficking network and seized more than 1.35 million illicit Captagon pills in a cross-border operation carried out in coordination with Syrian security forces, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari announced Wednesday.

Speaking during a visit to Basra, al-Shammari commended Iraqi and Syrian anti-narcotics teams involved in the operation, which was conducted based on judicial warrants issued by the Central Investigative Court in al-Rusafa.

The Interior Ministry said the General Directorate of Narcotics Control led the effort “under the direct supervision of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and with instructions and field follow-up from Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari.”

A specialized unit from the directorate, using “deep intelligence efforts and verified sources within narcotics trafficking networks,” conducted the raid in Damascus with Syrian cooperation.

The operation resulted in the seizure of more than 1,350,000 Captagon pills—equivalent to roughly 2,015 kilograms—and the arrest of what the ministry described as one of the most dangerous international trafficking networks.

Officials hailed the bust as a significant success in joint efforts to combat cross-border drug trafficking and reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to protecting the public from narcotics and pursuing traffickers beyond its borders.