KRG arrests three foreigners on drug-dealing charges

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The anti-narcotics directorate in the Kurdistan Region announced on Monday the arrest of three foreign nationals in Erbil on drug-related charges and the seizure of five kilograms of narcotics.

The arrests followed “ongoing efforts to combat and prevent narcotics, and following the honorable judiciary's decision, our security investigation team conducted an operation after gathering accurate information,” the directorate said in a statement.

“After their arrest, all three suspects are under investigation, and they will be dealt with according to the law on combating narcotics and psychotropic substances,” the statement added, noting that the suspects, who are from “outside of the Kurdistan Region,” intended to sell and distribute the drugs.

The statement did not reveal the nationalities or identities of the suspects. 

On Thursday, Iraq’s General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance Affairs announced the seizure of 100 kilograms of Captagon pills intended for distribution in Baghdad. Arkan Ali, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s anti-narcotics directorate, told Rudaw that the operation was made based on information they had shared with their Iraqi counterparts.

In October, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the Region is intensifying its efforts to combat the threat of drugs, calling on Kurdish and international communities to cooperate with Erbil to eliminate the “endemic” problem. 

In addition to increased drug usage, the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, especially along their borders with Iran, Turkey, and Syria, are major transit routes for illicit drugs into Europe.

A research study published in July by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office and Middle East reported that "of particular concern for governments and societies across the region is the rising production, trafficking and consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS)." This included amphetamines sold under the name Captagon and methamphetamine.

“Iraq and neighbouring countries have documented a sharp increase in the trafficking and use of ‘captagon’ over the past five years. ‘Captagon’ seizures in Iraq increased by almost 3,380 percent in Iraq from 2019 to 2023,” read the study. “Iraq reported the seizure of over 4.1 tons of ‘Captagon’ tablets between January and December 2023 alone.”