Smuggling drugs into ‘Mideast’ is motivated by politics – ‘Afghanistan original source’

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 3: An expert specializing in drug crimes in Iraq revealed his country’s involvement in “drug smuggling into Kuwait and Saudi Arabia due to hostile political motives,” pointing out that the supply lines for smuggling from Afghanistan through Iran “were not completely cut off or stopped, but rather that the motives shifted from strong political influence to weak commercial purposes, reports Al-Qabas daily. The Iraqi journalist an expert on drug crimes, speaking on anonymity said that the weakness of control over the Iraqi- Iranian border, which extends over long distances, as well as the state of security chaos, the weakness of the state’s grip, and the involvement of influential groups that have money and weapons in the drug trade, “has turned the country from a transit point into a promising drug consumption hub for all kinds of drugs.

He told KUNA that the lines of drug smuggling towards the Middle East countries are “usually drawn by political, security and economic determinants.” He went on to say, “The drug smuggling lines stretch from Afghanistan, where most types of drugs consumed by the Middle Eastern countries are grown and manufactured, continue to find its way to Iraq via Iran, which is also afflicted with this scourge due to its proximity to Afghanistan.” He added, that Iraq “was imposing, before 2003, severe penalties including the death penalty for anyone found guilty of drug use and trafficking in the country, but at the same time was involved in smuggling drugs to Gulf neighbors, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, for hostile political motives.

He continued, “Therefore, you find that Iraq was at that time almost devoid of drug abuse, even from clinics treating drug abusers or rehabilitation centers due to the small number of them at the time for fear of severe penalties.” By doing so, Iraq has turned into a consumer for it more than a smuggler for it. He pointed out that “Kuwait is not only a market for the types of drugs found in Iraq, such as crystals and amphetamines, but the cases of abuse recorded include stimulants called “zero-one” pills, which are of little circulation in Iraq.”

He stated that the smuggling networks between the two countries “sometimes depend on the use of yachts, fishing trawlers and speed boats which ply in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, as well as via land routes from the Samawa desert to the border areas with Kuwait.” Al-Atabi cited recent attempts to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using drones, which have the capacity to carry about 20 kilograms, but they were thwarted by the Saudi border guards. He pointed out that the Saudis have worked hard to strengthen their security measures to confront these attempts.

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