Iraqi Minister of Interior Abdul Amir Al-Shammari announced today, Saturday, the formation of a joint contact cell with Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria to combat drug trafficking.
Speaking during a dialogue at the 6th Baghdad International Dialogue Conference organized by the Iraqi Dialogue Institute at the University of Baghdad, Al-Shammari said that “a meeting was held in Jordan with the participation of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon to discuss strategies for combating drug smuggling.” He added that “the meeting resulted in several recommendations, the most important of which was establishing a joint contact cell to save time and monitor international drug trafficking networks.”
He highlighted the “significant cooperation from neighboring countries, which has led to positive results, including the arrest of traffickers from neighboring states and the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, as well as the activation of monitoring mechanisms.”
Al-Shammari noted that “80 international drug traffickers were sentenced over the past year,” and added that “the ministry operates under Law No. 50 of 2017 and launched a comprehensive three-year strategy at the beginning of 2023, involving 15 objectives and 24 partners. Key areas of focus include reducing supply and demand, establishing rehabilitation centers, and working with international partners.”
He also emphasized that “Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani has directed that Iraq serve as a security hub for anti-drug operations.”
