BAGHDAD: Iraqi police recovered 250,000 captagon tablets from a school building site on Wednesday, the government said, a seizure that highlights a surge in consumption of the amphetamine-like stimulant.
The seizure was carried out in Al-Anbar province on the border with Syria, a country considered the hub for production and trafficking of captagon which has flooded the Middle East.
Police “seized 250,000 captagon pills and one kilogram of cannabis resin from a school being renovated in the city of Ramadi,” the interior ministry said on Facebook.
Efforts were being made to track down and arrest those responsible, it added, without elaborating.
Iraq has long been transit country for captagon, but officials say it is increasingly becoming a consumer market for the illicit drug.
The country’s security forces have intensified narcotics operations in recent months, with several high-profile seizures reported.
In March, the authorities announced the seizure of three million captagon pills at the Al-Qaim border crossing with Syria.
Syria said at an Arab foreign ministers meeting in May that it was ready to “strengthen cooperation” with Jordan and Iraq, “affected by drug-trafficking and smuggling across the Syrian border.”
The three countries also pledged to “take the necessary measures to put an end to smuggling operations.”
Iraq seizes 250,000 captagon pills at school building site
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Iraq seizes 250,000 captagon pills at school building site
- Seizure was carried out in Al-Anbar province on the border with Syria
- Efforts made to track down and arrest those responsible
Daesh group militants clash with police during raid in Turkiye, wounding 7 officers
- The clash broke out Monday in Yalova province as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency
- Last week, police detained 115 militants allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations
ANKARA: Militants of the Daesh group opened fire on police and wounded seven officers during a raid on the group in northwest Turkiye on Monday, the country’s state-run media reported.
The clash broke out in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, Anadolu Agency said.
Special forces from neighboring Bursa province were dispatched to reinforce the operation.
Anadolu said none of the wounded officers were in serious condition.
Last week, police launched scores of simultaneous raids, detaining 115 militants of the extremist group who were allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Officials said the group had called for action, particularly against non-Muslims, during the celebrations.
Daesh has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkiye in recent years, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
