ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq has dismantled over 1,200 drug trafficking networks in the past three years, including 171 international cells, the interior ministry said Tuesday, as Baghdad continues clamping down on the drug phenomenon. 

“Security forces have dismantled 1,201 drug trafficking and distribution networks over the past three years, including 171 international networks,” ministry spokesperson Abbas al-Bahadli told a press conference. 

A total of 2,318 judicial sentences have been issued on drug-related charges, including 300 death sentences and 1,147 life sentences (20 years in Iraqi law). 

Baghdad has recently intensified cooperation with regional and international countries to counter drug trafficking networks outside Iraq’s borders. According to Bahadli, 40 such operations have been carried out. 

“There are 33 points of contact with regional countries within the framework of international cooperation, and advanced intelligence work is underway outside the country,” he said. “Iraq is now a known leader in the fight against drugs.” 

In October, Iraq scored first place in an international anti-narcotics competition held in Tunisia. 

Over the past three years, over 14 tons of narcotics have been seized across Iraq, according to the interior ministry. 

Drug rehabilitation has also been a key component of Baghdad’s plans, with 6,200 addicts having recovered, while 1,128 are still undergoing treatment in specialized clinics, where 16 drug rehabilitation centers have been established” across the country, the ministry noted. 

In 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani directed the establishment of drug rehabilitation centers across all Iraqi provinces, an initiative that excludes the Kurdistan Region.

Iraq, with its extensive borders with Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, has evolved from a transit route to a significant consumption market. Authorities in both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, however, have redoubled their efforts to root out the problem, with initiatives aiming to provide users with necessary assistance, as well as frequent operations to apprehend traffickers.

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 imprisonment, according to official data.