Baghdad court sentences three to death for drug trafficking

BAGHDAD — The Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad sentenced three individuals, including a foreign national, to death on Monday for drug trafficking. The nationality of the foreign national was not disclosed.

The Judiciary’s Media Center stated that the convicts were found in possession of one kilogram of methamphetamine and two electronic scales used for the sale and distribution of drugs.

“The verdict was issued in accordance with the provisions of Article 27/First of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017 and by reference to the provisions of Articles 47, 48, and 49 of the Iraqi Penal Code,” the statement read.

Article 27 of Iraq’s Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law mandates the death penalty or life imprisonment for individuals convicted of importing, transporting, or exporting narcotics for trade outside legal frameworks.

Since January, authorities have arrested approximately 8,000 individuals on drug-related charges and confiscated nearly 2.2 tons of various narcotics.

By early August, Iraq’s Ministry of Interior had issued 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences to convicted drug traffickers. A March 2024 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted the alarming rise in drug activity in Iraq. Methamphetamine seizures in 2023 were nearly six times higher than in 2019, and captagon seizures tripled between 2022 and 2023. The total volume of drugs seized in 2023 was 34 times greater than in 2019.

In 2023, authorities arrested more than 19,000 individuals on drug-related charges and seized over 15 tons of psychotropic substances. According to the Ministry of Interior, at least 17 drug suspects were killed in clashes with security forces during the year.