ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi and Syrian anti-narcotics forces seized 370 kilograms of narcotics during a joint operation in Syria and arrested a number of internationally wanted suspected traffickers, the Iraqi interior ministry said Wednesday, as Baghdad ramps up coordination with neighboring countries against the drug trade. 

“One of the Directorate's detachments moved to Syrian territory and, through joint field and intelligence coordination, was able to seize (370) kilograms of narcotic substances and arrest a number of internationally wanted suspects who constitute part of cross-border smuggling networks,” the ministry said in a statement, without disclosing how many suspects were arrested.

“This operation is an extension of a series of joint international efforts implemented by the General Directorate in cooperation with sisterly and friendly countries,” it added.

The ministry noted that the effort followed a similar coordinated operation in Kuwait and other neighbouring countries, as part of a broader effort to confront cross-border criminal networks.

Iraq aims “to enhance international cooperation in this field in a way that preserves the security and stability of Iraq,” the ministry affirmed.

With its extensive borders with Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, Iraq has become a major transit route for drug trafficking.

According to the World Police Summit held in the UAE in May, Iraq ranked third in combating narcotics, with India in first place and Montenegro coming second. The summit evaluated 138 countries and 205 government and non-government 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 life (20 years in Iraqi law), according to official data.

Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria, the new authorities in Damascus have repeatedly announced the seizure of drugs around the country, but neighbouring countries continue to report the interception of shipments. 

On Wednesday, the Syrian anti-narcotics department seized a large shipment of drugs in Damascus, prepared to be taken to Jordan, state media reported.

Damascus has also come under pressure from the international community to crack down on the Captagon trade.

Captagon, the brand name for the amphetamine-type psychostimulant fenethylline, was mainly produced and distributed in Syria during Assad’s regime. It is mainly used in the Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia being the main consumer.