Over 1,000 arrested on drug charges in Kurdistan this year: Officials
Also in Kurdistan
First cancer hospital opens in Duhok
Duhok authorities hopeful PKK's dissolution will revive tourism
Kurdish leaders, politicians welcome PKK's decision to disband
Northeast of Erbil, locals celebrate town, heritage at annual festival
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 1,000 people have been arrested across the Kurdistan Region on drug-related charges since the beginning of the year, security officials said on Sunday, averaging eight arrests a day as the Region continues fighting the rising use of drugs.
Drug trafficking and use have been on the rise in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since the fall of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, with officials frequently warning of the spread of drugs in the Region.
'In the first four months of this year in Erbil and Duhok provinces, 612 people have been arrested on drug charges, 283 users and 329 traffickers,' Arkan Bibani, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's anti-narcotics directorate, told Rudaw.
Salam Abdulkhaliq, head of the Sulaimani-based security forces (Asayish) media team, told Rudaw that in Sulaimani and Halabja provinces, as well as the Raparin and Garmiyan administrations, '388 suspects have been arrested for drug trafficking and use in the first four months of this year - 173 users and the rest were traffickers.'
At least 550 kilograms of narcotic pills, 70 kilograms of Captagon, and 8,300 blister packs and individual pills have also been seized, according to combined statistics from the officials.
The Kurdistan Region and Iraq, especially along their borders with Iran, Turkey, and Syria, are major transit routes for illicit drugs into Europe.
In October 2023, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the Kurdistan Region is intensifying its efforts to combat the threat of drugs, calling on Kurdish and international communities to cooperate with Erbil to eliminate what he described as an 'endemic' problem.
One-fifth of the Kurdistan Region's prisoners are behind bars on drug-related charges, according to data obtained by Rudaw from government sources.
In July, a research study published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office reported that Iraq - including the Kurdistan Region - has recorded a 'sharp increase in the trafficking and use of Captagon over the past five years.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
INSS seizes over 30,000 narcotic pills in Al-Anbar raids
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) arrested multiple suspects and seized more than 30,000 narcotic pills in two separate operations in the western province of Al-Anbar. In a statement released on Wednesday, the agency said in the first operation, a joint security team apprehended 'one of the country's most wanted drug traffickers in Ramadi.' The suspect was caught in possession of over 3,000 Captagon pills and a quantity of crystal meth. The second operation, according to the statement, targeted a pharmaceutical warehouse engaged in 'unauthorized' activities. Authorities seized over 30,000 smuggled psychotropic pills and 2,500 unauthorized Tramal injections. All detainees and confiscated items were referred to the relevant judicial authorities for legal action. The General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances announced earlier that in the first quarter of 2025, the security forces arrested more than 3,000 suspects and seized over two tons of illicit substances.
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Factories at risk: Water scarcity hurting strategic industries
Shafaq News/ Worsening water shortages in Iraq are disrupting key manufacturing sectors, Industry Minister Khaled Battal al-Najm warned, urging reforms to protect domestic production. Speaking at a National Industry Day event on Wednesday in Baghdad, al-Najm called for stronger protections at border crossings to ensure fair competition, citing lax enforcement by customs and trade authorities. He reaffirmed the government's focus on strategic industries including steel, sulfur, phosphate, pharmaceuticals, and electrical manufacturing. However, 'the private sector must lead this transformation' given limited public funding. Energy shortages remain the sector's biggest hurdle, according to al-Najm. 'No factory can operate profitably without reliable electricity and gas,' he stated, pointing to the lack of industrial financing from Iraqi banks. Iraq's deepening water crisis has further strained supply chains. Reduced river flows, worsened by upstream dams in Turkiye and Iran, along with poor domestic management have limited access to essential raw materials, including sugar, oils, and textiles. Looking ahead, al-Najm said fair market conditions could unlock private sector potential. 'With the right environment, this sector can play a pivotal role in national growth.'
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
KRG on salary crisis: International support needed
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday strongly criticized the Iraqi Ministry of Finance's decision to halt funding for public sector salaries, calling it 'unconstitutional, unlawful, and a form of collective punishment.' During its weekly session, chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the Council of Ministers affirmed that the Region had fulfilled all its obligations and submitted the required financial data transparently to the joint audit committee of both federal and regional oversight bodies. Prime Minister Barzani pointed to the 2025 agreement between the federal and regional finance ministries, which ensures the disbursement of full monthly salaries throughout the year. He also referenced a Federal Supreme Court ruling that disputes over the federal budget law must not be used to justify suspending salary payments, emphasizing the constitutional principle of equal treatment for all Iraqi citizens. The Council described the recent federal decision as politically driven and warned against any suspension of salary payments in the coming months, stating that such measures unfairly target the population of the Kurdistan Region. The KRG resolved to formally brief the international community and diplomatic representatives on the legal, constitutional, and financial aspects of the issue, urging support for a resolution within the framework of Iraq's constitution.
