Iraq arrests over 300 drug traffickers in ‘a week’

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s federal security forces have arrested more than 300 drug traffickers across the country in a matter of a week in late June, according to a statement.

The 303 traffickers were arrested in the capital Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces between June 22-29, according to a press release from the Iraqi Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency published on Saturday.

Over 250,000 illicit drug tablets were confiscated along with seven kilograms of methamphetamine during the same period, the press release added.

The top security institution released figures for the number of arrests it had made in connection with other crimes, including terrorism and oil smuggling.

Among other forms, Captagon a brand name for an amphetamine-like stimulant, is one of the most widely trafficked drugs in Iraq. It is believed that most of the low-cost drugs are produced in war-torn Syria.

Users feel mild euphoria after taking Captagon pills. The use of the drug leads to various health problems, including high blood pressure, hallucinations, and blurred vision. Irritability and fatigue are also the two most common withdrawal symptoms of Captagon.

The Iraqi forces have recently announced the confiscation of 250,000 Captagon tablets inside a school in the western Anbar province.

The Kurdistan Region’s anti-narcotics forces have recently announced that over 940 people had been arrested in the last five months this year for drug trafficking.

The Kurdish security forces have tightened measures at border crossings as well as urban centers. They have recently launched a raid on the cafés and restaurants in the capital Erbil, where they had taken samples from hookah tobacco to investigate the presence of any illicit drugs.