Erbil police confiscate 4 kg of narcotics, arrest two on possession charges

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in Erbil on Sunday announced the arrest of two individuals on drug possession charges and the confiscation of four kilograms of two different types of narcotics.

The security forces “impounded four kilograms of hashish and 60 grams of crystal that was in possession of two defendants,” Erbil’s General Directorate of Asayish said in a statement. The bust came on Aug. 30, the department added.

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.”

The statement alleged that the two individuals had hidden the narcotics inside nine pieces of clothing and were attempting to mail them to Canada. It also added that the drugs were smuggled into the Kurdistan Region from Iran.

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. In mid-July, the Asayish confiscated 48.7 kilograms of narcotics near the Iranian border.

In late July, the Asayish announced they had arrested 651 suspected drug dealers and consumers in the first six months of 2019.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany