Kurdistan Police bust drug ring in Duhok

Shafaq News/ Kurdish authorities in Duhok arrested ten individuals involved in a drug trafficking network, security sources reported on Sunday.

The arrests followed an operation by the Directorate of Narcotics Control, which also dismantled the network and seized over ten kilograms of narcotics concealed inside a vehicle.

Initial investigations indicated that the group operated under the guise of a local organization offering free medical transport services to neighboring countries. “In reality, they exploited these missions to smuggle drugs,” the source pointed out.

The suspects allegedly hid narcotics inside vehicle tires used to transport patients, taking advantage of the humanitarian nature of their operations to bypass border checkpoints and traffic the drugs undetected.

Earlier this month, security forces in Erbil dismantled a five-member drug trafficking network.

In response to the escalating drug crisis, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has intensified its counter-narcotics operations. Between early 2018 and August 2024, the KRG's Directorate General of Combatting Narcotics arrested over 11,000 individuals on drug-related charges, with approximately 2,857 identified as traffickers.

In March 2025, coordinated operations in Duhok and Zakho led to the arrest of 16 traffickers and the seizure of 82 kilograms of narcotics, including crystal meth and heroin.