Title page
Contents
Acknowledgements 3
Key takeaways 5
Introduction 7
UNODC in Iraq 7
Section 1. Regional dynamics 8
Section 2. Drug trends in Iraq 15
Northern internal route 17
Central internal route 19
Southern internal route 22
The evolution of drug consumption and responsesin Iraq 24
Section 3. Drug trafficking enablers in Iraq 27
Section 4. Conclusions and recommendations 29
Methodology and research approach 33
Annex 1. Annual volumes of drugs seized in Iraq, 2019-2023 36
Annex 2. Volumes of drugs seized in Iraq, from January to April 2024 36
Annex 3. Annual volumes of drugs seized per provinces in Iraq in 2023 36
Annex 4. Annual volumes of drugs seized per provinces in Iraq in 2022 37
Annex 5. Annual volumes of drugs seized per provinces in Iraq in 2021 38
Annex 6. Annual volumes of drugs seized in the Islamic Republic of Iran, per bordering provinces with Iraq, 2019-2021 39
Endnotes 40
Fig 1. Quantities of amphetamine, mainly "captagon", seized in the Near and Middle East, 2010-2021 9
Fig 2. Seizures of methamphetamine in the Near and Middle East, 2001-2021 10
Fig 3. Annual amounts of drugs seized in Iraq per type, 2019-2023 (kg equivalents) 15
Fig 4. Annual volumes of drugs seized in the Kurdish region of Iraq by type, 2019-2023 (kg equivalents) 18
Fig 5. Main seizures reported in the province of Al Anbar, 2019-2024 (kg and tablets) 20
Fig 6. Main seizures reported in the province of Al Basrah, 2019-2023 (kg and tablets) 23
Maps
Map 1. Main trafficking routes for counterfeit Captagon, 2021-2023 8
Map 2. Main methamphetamine trafficking flows as described by reported seizures, 2019-2022 11
Map 3. Main seizures of methamphetamine and "captagon" reported in the Near and Middle East, 2019-2023 12
Map 4. Indicative routes for opiates trafficking originating from Afghanistan along the Balkan and Southern routes, 2023 13
Map 5. Administrative map of Iraq 14
Map 6. The main three corridors used for drug trafficking in Iraq 16
Map 7. Main seizures reported trough the northern internal route in Iraq and neighbouring countries, 2019-2023 17
Map 8. Main seizures reported trough the central internal route in Iraq and neighbouring countries, 2019-2023 19
Map 9. Main seizures reported trough the southern internal route in Iraq and neighbouring countries, 2019-2023 22
Map 10. Primary substances for which people sought treatment across Iraq, 2022 24
Boxes
Box 1. Estimating the retail value of the 2023 ATS seizures in Iraq 26