Kurdistan Region security forces arrest five suspects for drug trafficking
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Combating Narcotics on Saturday announced the arrest of five suspects trafficking drugs in three separate operations.
“Erbil Security (Asayish) forces seized 2,846 grams of drugs and arrested five suspects,” the directorate said in a statement.
In the first arrest, the security forces apprehended a suspect in possession of 1,760 grams of “Heroin.” The second operation led to the arrest of two suspects and seizure of 1 kilogram of opium.
In the third operation, the security forces arrested two more suspects and apprehended 86 grams of “crystal.”
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 noted that the suspects will be handed over to the justice department per Article 14 of the penal code.
The sale and consumption of any narcotics or controlled medications are strictly forbidden in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Kurdish and Iraqi authorities often intercept shipments of drugs passing through Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, mainly in the provinces of Basra, Diyala, Erbil, and Sulaimani.
Most of it is smuggled into the country through its porous border with Iran, on its way to Turkey, Syria, and ultimately Europe and North America.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on June 27, announced the arrest of 586 suspected drug dealers and users in 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
Editing by Khrush Najari