Basra court sentences two drug dealers to life imprisonment

BASRA — The Basra Criminal Court issued life sentences on Wednesday against two individuals convicted of drug trafficking offenses.

In a statement, the Judicial Media Center announced that the first convict was found in possession of 1.51 kilograms of methamphetamine. The second individual was caught importing methamphetamine from a neighboring country with the intent to distribute it within Iraq.

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

By August, the Ministry of Interior reported issuing 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

A March 2024 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted a dramatic increase in drug activity across Iraq. Methamphetamine seizures in 2023 were nearly six times higher than in 2019, while captagon seizures tripled from 2022 to 2023. The total volume of drugs seized in 2023 was 34 times greater than in 2019.

In 2023, over 19,000 individuals were detained for drug offenses, and more than 15 tons of psychotropic substances were seized. The Ministry of Interior also confirmed that at least 17 drug suspects were killed in clashes with security forces during the year.