Iraq’s Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that over 200 drug trafficking networks have been dismantled across the country in the past 18 months, emphasizing the government’s relentless commitment to the war on drugs.

Miqdad Miri, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, revealed to the state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper that a total of 204 local drug trafficking networks and 20 international networks have been disbanded since 2023. "After disengaging the narcotics control directorate from the ministry’s agency for police affairs, and linking it to the minister’s office during the year 2022, it achieved very high results," Miri stated. He attributed this success to enhanced support, including new vehicles, weapons, and an integrated intelligence effort involving security regiments, rapid response units, and federal forces.

In a significant crackdown, more than 1.5 tons of narcotics have been seized in the first half of 2024 alone. Since 2023, around five tons of psychotropic substances have been confiscated, underscoring the scale of the drug problem in Iraq. The operations have not been without conflict; 17 drug suspects were killed in clashes with security forces in 2023, and at least four have been killed so far this year.

The rising tide of drug dealing and use in Iraq has become a growing concern, despite the government's strict measures to combat the phenomenon. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has responded by ordering the establishment of rehabilitation centers in all Iraqi provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region, aiming to tackle drug addiction with the same rigor as the fight against terrorism.

Further illustrating the government's tough stance, a Baghdad court on Sunday sentenced seven drug traffickers to death, including one foreign national. The death sentences reflect the judiciary's firm response to drug-related crimes in the country.

In 2023, the crackdown on narcotics saw over 19,000 individuals arrested on drug-related charges, with more than 15 tons of psychotropic substances seized. These figures highlight the extensive efforts and challenges faced by Iraqi authorities in their ongoing war on drugs.