Two receive life terms in Wasit drug trafficking case

WASIT — The Wasit Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced two individuals to life imprisonment after convicting them of drug trafficking involving methamphetamine.

In a statement, the Supreme Judicial Council said, “The Wasit Criminal Court issued a life sentence against two convicts for the crime of trafficking in narcotic substances.”

The council stated that the individuals were caught in possession of methamphetamine intended for sale and distribution among users.

The ruling was issued under Articles 27 and 28/1 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017, and in reference to Articles 47, 48, and 49 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

Iraq has faced growing challenges from narcotics trafficking in recent years, evolving from a transit corridor into both a consumer market and a redistribution hub.

Basra’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate reported the arrest of three suspects on drug-related charges following a police chase in Zubair district that ended in a traffic collision, injuring one of the suspects.

Earlier this month, the Anbar Criminal Court sentenced 11 individuals to life imprisonment for drug trafficking, according to a statement from the Supreme Judicial Council.

Courts have handed down some of the country’s toughest penalties in high-level trafficking cases. Between January and August 2024, judges issued 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences in narcotics cases.

In the first quarter of 2025, authorities reported 3,006 arrests related to drug offenses, while nationwide seizures reached 250 kilograms of narcotics in September alone.