Military intelligence arrests nine in Baghdad drug case

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Military Intelligence Directorate said it arrested nine people accused of drug trafficking and promotion in Baghdad during operations carried out this week.

In a statement, the directorate said the arrests followed directives from senior authorities and the military intelligence director and were conducted in coordination with other security agencies under Baghdad Operations Command. The statement said the operations relied on intelligence information and included the establishment of surprise checkpoints.

The directorate said joint intelligence and security patrols detained the suspects in several areas of the capital and found different types of narcotics in their possession. The suspects and seized materials were referred to the relevant authorities, according to the statement.

Iraq has faced growing challenges from narcotics trafficking in recent years, with officials describing the country as shifting from a transit route to a consumer market and redistribution hub. Courts have issued stiff sentences in high-level cases, including 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences between January and August 2024. Authorities also reported 3,006 arrests tied to drug offenses in the first quarter of 2025, while nationwide seizures reached 250 kilograms of narcotics in September.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani opened the Third Baghdad International Conference on Drug Control, presenting it as a key pillar of Iraq’s national and regional strategy to combat narcotics trafficking, as Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari outlined expanded enforcement measures and deeper international cooperation.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior on Monday confirmed the death of an officer from the Kirkuk Police Command during a security operation targeting drug trafficking suspects in the Altun Kupri area. One suspect was killed, another was arrested.