Security

Nearly 1,000 people arrested for drug offenses in Kurdistan Region in five months: KRSC

The KRG's Drug and Psychotropic Substances Fund provides treatments for substance abusers and financial rewards to those who turn in illegal drugs to local authorities.

Kurdistan 24 2023/10/23 22:00

The seized narcotics on display, Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo: KRSC)

Kurdistan Drugs Kurdistan Region Security Council Narcotics

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) on Monday announced that over a five month period from May 24 to October 22, its Asayish security forces have arrested 393 people on drug trafficking charges and another 598 people on charges of drug use.

Among the narcotics seized by the Asayish were over 116,000 kilograms of methamphetamine, 128,000 kilograms of heroin, 62 kilograms of opium, 32,000 kilograms of hashish, 7,000 kilograms of marijuana, 14 grams of cocaine, 7,000 kilograms of Captagon pills, 1,000 sheets of tramadol pills, and 1,000 sheets of methadone pills.

Kurdistan 24 has previously reported that 80% of drug users in the Kurdistan Region are between 18 and 35 years old, of which, 90% constitute men.

Captagon, a methamphetamine-like stimulant, has become increasingly popular in Iraq in recent years, as neighboring Syria has increasingly resorted to the drug’s manufacture and its illicit profits in order to financially recover from the devastating economic impact of a civil war that has entered its 12th year.

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

In April 2023, the KRG's Ministry of Finance and Economy established a Drug and Psychotropic Substances Fund to provide treatments for substance abusers and financial rewards to those who turn in illegal narcotics to local authorities.