“The General Directorate of Narcotics Control affiliated with the Ministry of Interior was able to seize 80 kg of the narcotic captagon in Anbar,” Miqdad Miri, spokesperson for the interior ministry, said in a statement cited by Iraqi state media.
The statement added that four “dangerous” suspects were also arrested.
The rate of drug addicts and dealers has been on an alarming rise in Iraq in recent years, despite strict measures taken by the Iraqi government to curb the phenomenon.
Last week, the interior ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon announced they would establish a “joint communications cell” aimed at combating drug trafficking in the region, particularly that of captagon, amphetamine-type stimulant.
Captagon is frequently seized in Anbar province due to its proximity to the border with Syria – the main regional supplier of the narcotic.
Over 600 suspects were arrested in Anbar over drug-related charges in 2023, according to a the director of the province’s drug directorate.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered the establishment of rehabilitation centers in all Iraqi provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region, as part of his cabinet’s commitment to combat growing drug trade and use as seriously as the country fights terrorism.
