BAGHDAD, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces foiled a drug smuggling plot in the country's territorial waters, seizing 25 kg of narcotics and detaining two foreign suspects, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Thursday in a statement.
The preemptive maritime raid was carried out by Iraq's General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs alongside the Iraqi Navy and naval intelligence, following precise intelligence reports indicating that international criminal networks were exploiting sea routes to smuggle drugs into Iraq and neighboring countries, according to the statement.
Security forces foiled the smuggling operation and detained two foreign suspects, while search operations remain underway to apprehend a third suspect who is still at large, the statement added.
Years of chaos and conflict following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion have hindered Iraq's efforts to combat narcotics. The Iraqi government has stated that drug trafficking remains a key source of funding for terrorism. ■
