Iraq urged to 'starve’ those profiting from rising drug trade
An apparent increase in drug trafficking into the country from both its eastern and western borders, with fallout from instability in Afghanistan and 'mafia' groups in Syria as well as use of illicit substances in Iraq, has raised concern.
ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — In early December, the directorate tasked with drug control in Iraq’s Maysan province in the southeastern part of the country along the Iranian border urged that more detention facilities be built as soon as possible due to a sharp rise in the number of drug-related arrests and the inability to house all those arrested.
The problem, however, seems to extend across the entire country.
In late December, a hashtag began trending in Iraq that literally means “starve them” and implies “starving” armed groups and “[political] parties [linked to militias]” operating in Iraq that are involved in the drug trade and that use the proceeds to buy weapons and support, acting as de facto mafia-type organizations.
No specific “parties” are referred to but the same word was often used during the massive protests in late 2019 that brought down the government at the time to refer to Iran-linked groups.
