Basra police arrest two suspects with 10 kilograms of crystal meth

BASRA — Basra security forces arrested two suspects found in possession of 10 kilograms of the crystal meth, a security source said Monday.

The source told 964media that the suspects were traveling in a vehicle when they were stopped. The narcotics were found inside the car.

According to the source, the two suspects, along with the seized drugs, were handed over to the General Directorate for Narcotics Affairs in Baghdad to complete the necessary legal procedures.

Iraq has faced growing challenges from narcotics trafficking in recent years, evolving from a transit corridor into both a consumer market and a redistribution hub.

Courts have handed down some of the country’s toughest penalties in high-level trafficking cases. Between January and August 2024, judges issued 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences in narcotics cases.

In the first quarter of 2025, authorities reported 3,006 arrests related to drug offenses, while nationwide seizures reached 250 kilograms of narcotics in September alone.