Iraqi interior minister arrives in Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Minister of Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari arrived in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil on early Sunday to take part in an anti-narcotics conference.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is similarly attending the Conference on Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in Erbil. Numerous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), diplomats as well as representatives of various international organizations are also taking part in the event.

Organized by the KRG Office of the Coordinator for International Advocacy, the conference aims to discuss efforts to boost international cooperation to tackle the issue of narcotics as well as tighten domestic measures against the looming threats from illicit trade and consumption.

The Region’s security forces routinely confiscate and arrest drug trackers at border crossings and in the big cities in a bid to curb the perilous trafficking network.

In late August, over 100kg of narcotics were seized in Erbil, including Captagon pills, crystal methamphetamine, and heroin. 

Kurdistan 24 previously reported that 80% of drug users in the Kurdistan Region are between 18 and 35 years old. 10% of drug users are women and 4% are under 18 years old.

Captagon pills, a brand name for an amphetamine-like stimulant, are 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.

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 drugs to local authorities.