Massive 157kg drug bust: Iraqi man sentenced to life
Shafaq News – Dhi Qar
An Iraqi court sentenced a man to life in prison after authorities discovered 157 kilograms of the hallucinogenic Datura plant, the judiciary announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, the judiciary’s media office reported the ruling was based on Article 27/3 of Iraq’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017.
The convicted trafficker cultivated the plant in Iraq’s southern province of Dhi Qar. Containing toxic compounds like atropine, Datura is known for its psychoactive effects. Authorities seized the entire quantity during the investigation.
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.
