ERBIL — Kurdistan Region's security forces managed to arrest five people in capital Erbil in possession of illegal drugs, a statement reported on Sunday.
The five suspects were arrested during separate security operations carried out in Erbil by the security forces of the general directorate of anti-narcotics, during which a great proportion of illicit drugs were also confiscated.
A statement by the directorate of anti-narcotics explained further that the security forces during the security campaigns also seized 17 grams of crystal meth, 20 grams of a Jamaican type of drug, 10 grams of hashish, seven grams of heroin, and 119 illegal pills.
Moreover, the forces also seized five drug pipes and 6,200 counterfeit US dollars with 1,125,000 counterfeit Iraqi dinars, according to the statement.
Security forces in Erbil often arrest people in possession of illegal drugs which are usually smuggled from neighboring Iran into the Kurdistan Region. In some cases, the forces have managed to seize the drugs hours before they could be smuggled into Canada and other countries around the world.
The Anti-Narcotics Directorate said in a statement earlier in July that they’ve arrested two drug dealers had been involved in illegal shipment of drugs into the Kurdistan Region and were attempting to smuggle it abroad.
The security forces also seized 15 kilograms of illicit drugs of crystal, the statement added, noting that the two suspects were transferred to the investigation court under Article 25 of the Narcotics Law.
In late December, security forces in Erbil announced that they had been able to seize over 550 kilograms of illegal drugs during 2020.