Iraqi National Security Service seizes 500,000 Captagon pills in Anbar

BAGHDAD — Iraqi National Security Service units seized 500,000 Captagon pills in a major drug trafficking operation in Anbar governorate, bordering Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The pills were hidden within a consignment of vegetables from a neighboring country.

Following a days-long ambush, the operation was hailed as a success in disrupting regional drug trafficking networks. This action underscores Iraq’s ongoing efforts to combat drug smuggling, particularly Captagon, a drug increasingly trafficked across the Middle East.

A recent UN report noted that while Iraq is less affected by Captagon smuggling compared to neighboring countries, significant quantities still enter from Syria and Lebanon. In 2023, Captagon seizures in Iraq tripled compared to the previous year, with overall drug seizures rising 34-fold since 2019.

Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari recently highlighted other breakthroughs, including the dismantling of a Captagon production facility in Sulaymaniyah. Iraqi authorities have thwarted attempts to establish drug factories and arrested key traffickers hiding in neighboring countries.

Since the start of 2024, around 8,000 individuals have been arrested in connection with narcotics, with nearly 2.2 tons of various drugs seized.