Erbil Authorities Burn 640 Kilograms of Seized Narcotics in Anti-Drug Operation
The committee includes representatives from the KRG Diwan of Council of Ministers, the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, the Parastin u Zanyari Agency, the General Directorate of Customs, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Erbil’s Drug Seizure and Destruction Committee has incinerated 640 kilograms of various narcotics using a controlled scientific process. The drugs were destroyed in a specialized furnace at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1,000°C, ensuring safe disposal and minimizing environmental impact.
The committee includes representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Diwan of Council of Ministers, the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, the Parastin u Zanyari Agency, the General Directorate of Customs, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Nahro Jalal, the environmental representative in Erbil, told Kurdistan24 that the total volume of drugs ruled for destruction by the courts has surpassed 1.8 tons. However, due to space and time constraints, the process is being carried out in several phases.
Arkan Bibani, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, explained that the use of the high-temperature furnace marks a shift from previous practices of open-pit burning, which often caused environmental and air pollution.
According to official figures, between January and July of this year, authorities arrested 1,091 suspects, including 626 individuals accused of drug trafficking. During the same period, security forces seized 468 kilograms of narcotics and more than 271,000 pills.
