ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s interior ministry on Sunday announced the arrest of two of the “top international drug dealers” in Saudi Arabia’s Medina, coming after high-level coordination between anti-drug authorities in Sulaimani and Saudi Arabia.

“Through the ongoing efforts to combat drugs in Sulaimani… and through high-level coordination with the General Directorate for Combating Narcotics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our brothers in the Kingdom were able to arrest the criminals in Medina with 142 kilograms of liquid meth hidden inside their vehicle,” Abbas al-Bahadli, spokesperson for the ministry, detailed the bust during a broadcast on Monday. 

Bahadli hailed the arrests as an accomplishment for the General Directorate for Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, under the supervision of Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari, and with the efforts of the anti-narcotics officers in Sulaimani. He also expressed appreciation for the cooperation between Iraqi and Saudi authorities.

Iraq, with its extensive borders with Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, has evolved from a transit route to a significant drug consumption market.

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 life (20 years in Iraqi law), according to official data.

In February, the interior ministry vowed that 2025 would be a tough year for drug dealers, calling for stronger action at both national and international levels.

In May, the ministry 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 United Arab Emirates. The summit placed Iraq behind India in first place and Montenegro in second, after evaluating 138 countries and 205 governmental and non-governmental organizations.