ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq –In an operation announced on Friday, Iraq's General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances said that they had seized approximately 40 kilograms of narcotics, including heroin, crystal meth, and Captagon, in a region in southern Iraq.

“The operation targeted a major international drug dealer and resulted in the seizure of approximately 40 kilograms of dangerous narcotics, including heroin and crystal meth, in addition to quantities of Captagon pills,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

The statement noted that “the operation represents one of the most important preemptive strikes against drug smuggling and trafficking gangs,” adding that “the duty is still ongoing, as security forces continue to surround a number of other suspects within the same network, in preparation for their arrest and bringing them to justice.”

The arrest comes a day after the same directorate, in conjunction with Sulaimani’s anti-narcotics directorate, announced the arrest of two drug traffickers in possession of tens of kilograms of crystal meth and marijuana in Sulaimani on Thursday.

Iraq, with its extensive borders with Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, has evolved from a transit route to a significant drug consumption market. Authorities in both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, however, have intensified their efforts to eradicate the problem.

Iraq’s Ministry of Interior has recently announced that it has ranked third in global efforts to fight drug trafficking and abuse, according to the latest World Police Summit held in the UAE, which places Iraq behind India in first place and Montenegro in second. The summit evaluated 138 countries and 205 governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Iraqi authorities arrested around 14,500 suspects on drug-related charges in 2024 and issued death sentences for 144 suspected drug traffickers. At least 454 others were sentenced to perpetual imprisonment (20 years in Iraqi law), according to official data.