Sulaimani security member injured in drug arrest

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – One member of the Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) sustained injuries while attempting to arrest a suspect on drug-related charges in Sulaimani on Sunday, read a statement from the forces.

An officer was injured when clashes erupted between the security forces and the alleged suspect who is involved in a drug case, according to the Asayish statement, noting that the security official was in a stable condition. 

The perpetrator, who also suffered from injuries, has been arrested, the Asayish noted.

Anti-drug teams in the Kurdistan Region have made several arrests in the past, but one of the biggest came in June when security arrested 10 drug dealers in possession of 23,525 kilograms of illegal drugs as well as 37,772 medical pills. 

Another Asayish member sustained injuries in an Erbil drug bust in November. 

The Kurdistan Region and Iraq have seen an increase in drug trafficking and use. Numbers have risen in the last two decades, according to Brigadier Raad Ali Hussein, from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s narcotics directorate.