ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Security forces in Duhok announced on Saturday the arrest of three individuals charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of distribution. The suspects were found in possession of an amount of crystal meth and heroin intended for distribution, according to a statement from the media directorate of Duhok security forces (Asayish). There has been a rise in drug use and trade in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in recent years. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, during a conference on combating the drug trade last October, said that the Region is “seriously and widely working to eradicate and combat” the threat of drugs, and called on the Kurdish and international communities to cooperate with Erbil to eliminate what he described an “endemic” problem. Last week, Kurdistan Region’s Asayish, in cooperation with the Iraqi directorate of combating narcotics, arrested a wanted international drug trafficker who was accused of transporting narcotics between Iraq and Syria. The suspect was in possession of over three kilograms of narcotics and several weapons at the time of his arrest. In 2023, more than 19,000 people were arrested across Iraq on drug-related charges, and over 15 tons of psychotropic substances were seized.
