Dismantling two international drug trafficking networks in Baghdad and arresting smugglers What's the story?

The Iraqi National Security Service announces the dismantling of two international drug trafficking networks consisting of ten members of Arab and Iraqi nationalities, as well as the seizure of more than six million Captagon pills. Iraq is considered a mainstay in the Captagon trade, whose trade has expanded in the Middle East.

The Iraqi National Security Service announced on Saturday the dismantling of two international drug trafficking networks in Baghdad and the arrest of ten people in the process, including five of Arab nationalities, and the seizure of more than six million Captagon pills.

And Iraq, bordering Syria and Saudi Arabia, became a main station in the Captagon trade, which expanded in the Middle East to a large extent during 2021.

In a statement broadcast on social media platforms, the agency said that its detachments were able to "dismantle two international networks of drug trafficking, consisting of ten individuals of Arab and Iraqi nationalities."

He added that "a large warehouse for storing narcotics was seized, located southwest of the capital, Baghdad, as nearly six million and 200 thousand pills were seized, which is an estimated one ton of narcotic toxins that were packed in an innovative way."

The statement said that the first network includes "four accused of Arab nationalities who are working to re-unload and sell these grains," adding that three Iraqis were arrested based on the "confessions" of the other four.

The second network includes an Arab suspect who was arrested in possession of 6 kg of hashish, according to the statement, while two additional people were arrested within the network, the statement did not specify their nationalities.

The statement stated that all of the defendants admitted their "association with international networks for drug trafficking and their introduction into Iraq."

The security forces have strengthened their operations in pursuit of drug dealers in recent times and announce almost daily the seizure of quantities of drugs and the arrest of many smugglers.

During the first three months of 2022, the security forces were able to arrest 18 drug dealers in the border province of Anbar with Syria, an official source in the province told AFP.

He revealed that more than 3 million Captagon pills were seized, the majority of which were found in nearby areas on the border with Syria during the same period, noting that "the majority of drug dealers were arrested in border areas with Syria, especially in Al-Rutba and Al-Qaim."

Since the beginning of April, 1.8 million Captagon pills have been seized in the Al-Qaim border region with Syria, according to the same source.

The drug issue has become a serious challenge in Iraq, where drug trafficking and abuse have increased in recent years, especially in the southern and central regions of the country, bordering Iran, which has become a main route for drug smuggling and trafficking, especially crystal.

In December, the Ministry of Interior's Anti-Narcotics Directorate announced that "Basra and Maysan governorates rank first in smuggling and drug abuse in the southern governorates."