KRG security forces thwarts attempt to smuggle illegal narcotics into Erbil

An anti-narcotics department statement indicated that the suspects brought the illegal drugs from Sulaimani to Erbil province.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The anti-narcotics directorate of the Kurdistan Region on Saturday announced the arrest of two suspects who were allegedly in possession of 25 kilograms of narcotic substances.

The directorate said in a statement that the arrests and confiscation of illicit materials came in coordination with their office in Erbil province's Haji Omran border crossing, neighboring Iran.

The statement indicated that the suspects brought the narcotics from Sulaimani to Erbil, pointing out that it had opened a criminal investigation into the case per Article 14 of Iraq's penal code that pertains to the use and trading of illicit substances.

Drugs on display, impounded in the operation by the Kurdistan Region's security forces. (Photo: KRG)
Drugs on display, impounded in the operation by the Kurdistan Region's security forces. (Photo: KRG)

The sale and consumption of any narcotics or controlled medications are strictly forbidden in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in late June 2020 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 the first half of 2020; over 350 kg seized

In December 2019, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced that its security apparatus in the autonomous region had arrested 1,702 individuals that had been charged with the trafficking or possession of illegal drugs.

Read More: Kurdistan Region arrested over 1,700 for drug-related crimes in 2019

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.

The sale and consumption of any non-prescription drugs are strictly forbidden in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Most drugs are smuggled into the region via the border with Iran on their way to Turkey, Syria, and, ultimately, Europe and North America.

Editing by Khrush Najari