Erbil security seizes 8 kg narcotics, thousands in counterfeit US currency
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Wednesday, The Anti-Narcotics Directorate of the Kurdistan Region announced on Wednesday two separate arrests in Erbil province that yielded more than eight kilograms of illegal drugs in total and nearly $4,000 of counterfeit US currency.
According to a statement from the directorate, its forces in Erbil’s Soran district, in coordination with the Parastin security agency, were able to arrest two individuals at a checkpoint near the Bekhal Waterfall tourist attraction on Monday.
“They were in the possession of more than three kilograms of the drugs opium and crystal as well as $3,900 in counterfeit US dollars that they were planning to launder in the market,” the statement continued, mentioning also the arrest of one suspect in the city center of Erbil on Wednesday ion possession of five kilograms of heroin.
It should be noted that there is often confusion about the term “crystal” in the region 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.”
In mid-February, the Erbil directorate announced the seizure of eight more kilograms of illegal drugs being smuggled to Canada hidden in parts of a construction vehicle.
Read More: Kurdistan thwarts attempt to smuggle drugs hidden in truck parts to Canada
“Five kilograms of the drug opium (Taryak) and three kilograms of ketamine were confiscated as drug traffickers were attempting to send it to Canada by hiding it inside shafts and other parts of an excavator truck,” a statement from the directorate read.
“The culprits were attempting to transfer the parts along with the drugs hidden inside through an international transportation company from Erbil,” the statement added, mentioning that two Iranian suspects were arrested in the process of tracking down the drug traffickers.
The sale and consumption of any non-prescription drugs are strictly forbidden in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Kurdish and Iraqi authorities often intercept shipments of such controlled substances passing through the country, mainly in the provinces of Basra, Diyala, Erbil, and Sulaimani, specifically in the towns and villages connecting the three countries of Iran and Turkey.
Most drugs are smuggled into the region via the border with Iran on their way to Turkey, Syria, and ultimately, Europe and North America.
Local activists and authorities have also warned of the rise in drug abuse within Iraq itself.
Editing by John J. Catherine