Police thwarts balloon drug smuggling in Iraq’s desert operation
Shafaq News– Baghdad
Iraqi authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle narcotics using balloons equipped with tracking devices, Iraq’s Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry said forces seized more than 140,000 narcotic pills that had been smuggled into the desert area, without providing information regarding the exact location of the operation.
Last week, security forces intercepted a smuggling attempt of more than 30 kilograms of narcotics across the border with Syria in Al-Anbar, western Iraq.
Read more: The Smuggler's Almanac: Iraq's war against narco-innovation
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime identifies Iraq’s western and southern corridors, particularly Al-Anbar, as major transit routes for captagon trafficking from neighboring countries.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry earlier reported dismantling 1,201 drug networks over the past three years, including 171 international groups. Nationwide operations have seized more than 14 tons of narcotics, with courts issuing 2,318 rulings against offenders, including 300 death sentences and 1,147 life sentences.
Read more: Iraq fights back against synthetic drug flood engulfing the Middle East
