Iraq busts top drug trafficker, foreign accomplice in Basra
Shafaq News – Basra
Iraq’s anti-narcotics forces arrested a prominent drug trafficker and several of his associates, including a foreign woman, a security source told Shafaq News on Friday.
During the ensuing pursuit, the main suspect exchanged fire with security forces before being subdued and arrested. Authorities recovered drugs and the weapon used in the confrontation.
Earlier, an Iraqi court sentenced a man to life in prison after authorities discovered 157 kilograms of the hallucinogenic Datura plant.
Drug trafficking has surged in Iraq in recent years, with security officials warning that the country is becoming both a consumer market and a key transit hub for regional smuggling. In response, authorities have intensified their crackdown, issuing 245 death sentences and 955 life terms between 2023 and 2025, according to the Ministry of Interior.
