Kirkuk anti-narcotics operation seizes over 1 kg of meth, arrests four traffickers

KIRKUK – Security forces in Kirkuk arrested four drug traffickers Thursday morning in a tactical operation, seizing 1 kilogram and 155 grams of crystal meth. The arrests took place in the center of Kirkuk, according to a security source from the Directorate of Anti-Narcotics.

The traffickers, who used motorcycles to transport and distribute drugs, have a history of drug-related offenses. “These individuals were previously arrested for similar crimes but returned to their activities after serving their sentences. We arrested them again today,” the source said. The traffickers are believed to be part of a re-emerging organized drug trade that authorities had previously dismantled.

The operation is part of Iraq’s effort to crack down on drug trafficking. Authorities are continuing investigations to fully dismantle the network and prevent further trafficking in the region.

According to a March 2024 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Iraq has seen a sharp rise in drug seizures in recent years. Methamphetamine seizures in 2023 were nearly six times higher than in 2019, while seizures of captagon tripled between 2022 and 2023. The total quantity of drugs seized in 2023 was 34 times higher than in 2019. The report suggested that this increase may be due to both higher availability of drugs in the region and enhanced counter-narcotics efforts by Iraqi and international authorities.

UNODC’s report also highlighted three key drug trafficking corridors in Iraq: northern, central, and southern, connecting Iraq with neighboring countries like Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.

In August, Iraq’s Ministry of Interior announced that 311 drug traffickers, both local and international, had been sentenced to death or life imprisonment in 2024. The ministry also revealed plans to establish a regional drug control operations center in Baghdad following discussions with interior ministers from neighboring countries.

Iraq’s Parliament is preparing to vote on an amendment to the country’s drug control law, which proposes replacing life imprisonment with the death penalty for certain drug traffickers. The amendment, proposed by the Anti-Drug and Psychotropic Substances Committee, is part of Iraq’s response to the escalating drug crisis.