Kurdistan Region arrests 2 suspects in possession of drugs, weapons
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Anti-Narcotics Directorate in the Kurdistan Region’s province of Erbil announced on Tuesday that its forces had arrested two suspects in possession of multiple narcotics and other controlled substances along with three weapons.
According to a statement security forces seized 244 grams of crystal, 200 grams of heroin, 33 grams of "Jamaica," 20 grams of hashish, and 20 opiate tablets.
It should be noted that there is often confusion about the term "crystal" since it is commonly used as the local name for two different highly-addictive drugs. One is methamphetamine, known in much of the world as crystal meth, but it can also refer to high-purity street-level heroin, sometimes called kerack.
The statement added that the suspects also had in their possession a gram scale for weighing illicit drugs and that one of the firearms was semi-automatic.
The sale or consumption of unregulated narcotics are strictly prohibited in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Kurdish and Iraqi authorities often intercept shipments of drugs passing mainly through the provinces of Basra, Diyala, Erbil, and Sulaimani, specifically in the towns and villages connecting the country with Iran and Turkey.
On Saturday, Kurdistan security announced the arrest of five suspects trafficking drugs in three separate operations.
Read More: Kurdistan Region security forces arrest five suspects for drug trafficking
In late June, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced the arrest of 586 suspected drug dealers and users over the first half of 2020 to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed annually on June 26.
Read More: Kurdistan announces nearly 600 drug arrests in first half of 2020; over 350 kg seized
In addition to the trafficking arrests, police announced in a separate statement the arrest of one of the four suspects accused of the violent robbery of a cafeteria in central Erbil.
The arrest came following a video clip being circulated on social media showing four armed men committing the crime during which they beat the cafeteria's owner.
According to the statement, the suspect confessed his crime and a search to locate the remaining three suspects is ongoing.
Editing by John J. Catherine