ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq said Wednesday it has begun cooperation with Sweden to crack down on and dismantle drug-trafficking networks.
“There is active cooperation with the Swedish side in cases related to counter-narcotics,” Ali Dhiaa, judicial investigator and head of Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC), told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), adding they had already broken up more than one criminal network, without giving details.
Dhiaa also cited the January killing in Baghdad of Swedish gang leader Mustafa “Benzema” al-Jiburi, who was shot dead by a Swedish national. The case remains before Iraqi courts and is tied to multiple networks, he said, adding that cooperation with Sweden is ongoing.
Jiburi, 34, led the “La Liga” network and had convictions for arson, fraud, and drug offenses. He was believed to be close to Rawa Majid, known as “the Kurdish Fox,” leader of Sweden’s Foxtrot Network, but later launched his own group after reports of Majid’s arrest in Iran.
Video of the shooting, circulated on social media, showed a man stepping off a motorcycle and firing several shots through Jiburi’s car window while it was stopped in traffic.
“The Swedish suspect will be tried in Iraq since the crimes were committed on Iraqi soil, while Sweden may also submit legal assistance requests to provide information in support of the case,” Dhiaa said.
In October, social media posts falsely claimed Jiburi had been killed in Iraq. It was later revealed he had staged his own death with the help of hired hitmen and later appeared in a live broadcast mocking and threatening rivals, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT.
The Foxtrot Network has been a dominant force in Sweden’s criminal underworld since the late 2010s, involved in narcotics trafficking, shootings, bombings, and other violent crimes.
In March, the United States sanctioned Majid for alleged arms and drug trafficking and for reportedly cooperating with Iran in attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe.
Authorities in the region have detained other prominent Swedish criminals in the region with the country’s cooperation. In July, Majid’s former partner - turned enemy - Ismail Abdo, leader of the Rumba network was arrested in Turkey, and shortly after, Ahmed Alaa Fawzi - known as “Dybala” and a senior Foxtrot figure - was apprehended in Erbil.
Sweden, once known for low crime rates and a robust welfare system, has seen a sharp rise in gang violence over the past decade. A surge in shootings and bombings, largely driven by rivalries over drug markets, has become a national concern.
Authorities say the violence has been fueled by social segregation in so-called “vulnerable areas,” where gangs recruit minors who face lighter penalties under Swedish law. The trend has shaken public confidence in institutions and prompted the government to push for tougher police powers and harsher sentencing.
