Behind Every One Arrested, There Are 10 Others: Drug Statistics in the Kurdistan Region Are Alarming

The Kurdistan Region’s Asayish (security agency) has sounded a serious alarm to the public after releasing statistics on suspects arrested for drug-related offenses and the quantities of drugs seized.

According to statistics from the Kurdistan Region Asayish – Sulaymaniyah, in 2025 the number of people arrested on charges of drug use and drug trafficking reached 1,005 individuals.

Chalak Muhyaddin, a specialist in drug-related issues, told Panjara Media that the high number of arrests indicates the widespread distribution of drugs and also shows that different types of narcotics are readily available.

In addition to becoming a transit route for drugs smuggled from Iran and Afghanistan to Europe, the Kurdistan Region’s shared borders with countries where drugs are widely produced and distributed are a major factor contributing to the spread of narcotics in the region.

According to Asayish statistics, the ages of those arrested for drug-related charges range between 18 and 65 years, and more than 95% of those arrested are male.

Under Law No. 1 of 2020, severe penalties are imposed on drug traffickers. Drug users and addicts are also subject to imprisonment and fines if they do not voluntarily surrender themselves for treatment and are instead arrested.

Chalak Muhyaddin stated that drugs are distributed covertly and through smuggling networks. Therefore, according to prevailing theories, if one person is arrested, there are ten others operating behind them.