ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi and Syrian interior ministries on Sunday announced arresting two suspected drug traffickers, who were allegedly planning to smuggle narcotics into Iraq, in a joint operation carried out in Damascus.

The joint operation “resulted in the arrest of two individuals who are considered international drug traffickers, in possession of 57 kilograms of hashish, which they were planning to smuggle into Iraqi territory,” the Iraqi interior ministry said in a statement.

The operation was carried out through “high-level coordination” between the anti-narcotics authorities of both neighboring countries, the statement added.

The Syrian interior ministry said the narcotics were confiscated, and the suspects were “referred to the relevant judiciary to take the necessary legal measures against them.”

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

The country has recently intensified efforts at home as well as cooperation with regional and international partners to counter the rapid spread of narcotics in the country.

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.