Two drug traffickers arrested after standoff in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — The Kurdistan Region Security Agency reported the arrest of two drug traffickers following an armed confrontation in Sulaymaniyah that resulted in injuries to a security officer. The operation, conducted by the Directorate of Narcotics Control, part of the Sulaymaniyah Asayish security forces, took place on Monday at 9:00 am in the Sarchinar neighbourhood.

According to the agency, the operation was based on a judicial investigation and led to the arrest of suspects found with over 14 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. “During the confrontation, one Asayish officer sustained injuries. Despite the resistance, the security forces were able to detain the traffickers and secure the illicit drugs,” the agency stated.

The suspects are now facing charges under Article 25 of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law, with an ongoing investigation into their activities.

This incident follows a report on Aug. 13 by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency noting a significant increase in drug trafficking and usage within the Sulaymaniyah and Halabja provinces. According to Salam Abdulkhaliq, the spokesperson for the agency, these areas are increasingly being used as transit points for drug distribution throughout Iraq and beyond. “Out of the 638 arrests this year, 250 were users, while the remaining individuals were involved in trafficking and dealing drugs,” Abdulkhaliq informed 964media.