Meth ring busted: Turks detained in Iraqi Kurdistan smuggling plot
Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah / Najaf
Iraq’s National Security Service arrested two individuals in Kurdistan Region’s Al-Sulaymaniyah, in coordination with Kurdish security forces (Asayish), on drug-trafficking charges.
A security source told Shafaq News on Thursday that the suspects, both Turkish nationals, intended to transport one kilogram of crystal meth to the city of Najaf, south-central Iraq.
Earlier this month, the Asayish arrested three drug traffickers, seizing about four kilograms of opium, 1.3 kilograms of crystal meth, and 3,000 narcotic pills.
The arrests come as drug trafficking intensifies across Iraq. UNODC figures show captagon seizures have risen more than 3,300% since 2019 — reaching over four tons in 2023 — while methamphetamine confiscations in the Kurdistan Region surged from 24.6 kilograms to 745.6 kilograms. Iraq’s location along Syria–Iran–Gulf smuggling routes has increased pressure on security agencies and contributed to growing domestic addiction.
Read more: Iraq fights back against synthetic drug flood engulfing the Middle East
