Kurdish security confiscates nearly 30 kilograms of heroin, arrests four

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region security forces have announced the arrest of four suspected of narcotics trafficking and the seizure of just under 30 kilograms of heroin in Duhok Province’s Akre district.

Directorate of Erbil Asayish [security] said in a statement on Monday that they were able to successfully carry out the arrests because of the cooperation of their forces, local Asaiysh forces in Akre, and the Anti-Drugs Directorate.

The forces conducted an operation in the district’s Shahidan neighborhood that led to the discovery of the drugs, hidden inside a Hyundai Tucson.

On June 4, Asayish arrested two suspects attempting to smuggle 29 kilograms of heroin into one of the Kurdistan Region's neighboring countries.

“In coordination with Akre district Asayish [security] forces and Peshmerga intelligence, Asayish were able to arrest a band of two drug dealers and confiscate 29.5 kilograms of heroin near the Rovia sub-district [in Duhok Province],” a statement read at the time.

In May, Soran security in Erbil said they had confiscated dozens of packages of narcotics smuggled into the Kurdistan Region from Turkey. They said, however, that it was unclear if the drugs were originally from there.

Asayish forces routinely confiscate drugs and other illicit material brought through Kurdistan, mainly in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces. Most of it is smuggled into the region through its borders with Iran.

Editing by John J. Catherine