Sulaimani province emerges as key drug trafficking corridor in Iraq
This growing illicit activity has raised concerns among local and international authorities, as Iraq faces a surge in drug trafficking and use, especially in recent decades.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A report published in March by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identified Sulaimani province as one of the main corridors for drug trafficking in Iraq, with the region serving as a primary route for the smuggling of heroin, opium, and methamphetamine. This growing illicit activity has raised concerns among local and international authorities, as Iraq faces a surge in drug trafficking and use, especially in recent decades.
The Kurdistan Region has intensified its efforts to combat the spread of narcotics, ramping up arrests and confiscation operations in recent years. Authorities are particularly focused on dismantling smuggling networks operating through Sulaimani, which has become a key transit hub for drugs entering Iraq from neighboring countries.
To further address this escalating crisis, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a Conference on Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in mid-October 2023. The event brought together religious leaders, security officials, and diplomats from the region and Western countries. During the conference, participants discussed strategies to curb drug trafficking and the rise in narcotics use across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.
The Kurdistan Region Directorate General of Counter Terrorism on Oct. 10 announced that Iraqi security forces have uncovered a large drug manufacturing facility in the village of Awbari, located in the Maydan sub-district near Sulaimani’s Darbandikhan district.
Read More: Iraqi security forces seize drug factory in Sulaimani province
