TEHRAN –Participating in the 2nd joint meeting of committee on combating drugs and psychotropic substances in Baghdad, Iranian and Iraqi officials have underscored their commitment to combat drug-related crimes.

The first joint meeting was held in January, and the second meeting was held at the invitation of Iraqi Health Minister Saleh al-Hasnawi, who is also the head of the Supreme Committee for Combating Drugs in Iraq, Mehr news agency reported.

During the Wednesday meeting, Brigadier General Hossein Zolfaqari, the secretary general of the Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ), and Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari highlighted the two countries' commitment to combat narcotics as one of the biggest social and security challenges of the modern era.

“This ominous phenomenon has targeted national security and the health of the society, particularly youth, as well as the economic stability of the two nations. Our shared geography should be a source of prosperity and progress,” IRNA quoted Zolfaqari as saying.

Elaborating on the initial achievements in the fight against drugs, he said, “sharing information and expertise on narcotics has paved the way for taking effective measures. However, our common enemy is sophisticated, armed, and equipped with the latest means of technology. Therefore, these initial successes should not deter us from our commitment to address broader dimensions of the threat.”

The official went on to propose the establishment of a joint border security operation center with liaison officers from the two countries to enable the exchange of information in real-time and coordinate joint missions with greater accuracy.

He also voiced Iran’s readiness to hold specialized training courses on the latest strategies to detect and combat organized smuggling and money laundering for both Iranian and Iraqi anti-narcotics police.

The development of a legal subcommittee was another proposal made by Iran. It aims to identify and freeze assets of smuggling networks operating in the two countries, as well as facilitate and expedite coordination in the field of judicial laws and protocols.

The collaborative efforts in the war against drugs should not be limited to land borders. Coordination in monitoring drug trafficking at air borders, cyberspace, and social networks will significantly impact smugglers.

During the official visit to Iraq, Zolfaqari also held a meeting with Iraq’s Health Minister al-Hasnawi.

Following the meeting, al-Hasnawi said, “There is serious cooperation between the Iraqi and Iranian security and health authorities in combating drugs.

This cooperation has advanced to reduce drug smuggling crimes across the two countries,” rudaw.net reported.

These meetings are the fruit of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Supreme Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran two years ago, the official added.

The Iraqi government official delved into further details that “the meeting’s recommendations were effective, realistic, and applicable,” expressing his hope for “further consolidation of relations between the two countries, as well as between Iraq and neighboring countries, to curb the phenomenon that has invaded society.”

On the last day of the trip, Zolfaqari attended a press interview. “The second joint meeting highlights adopting a unified approach in the fight against illicit drugs. The main objective of this initiative is to strengthen the security of joint borders, exchange information and conduct collaborative missions, reduce drug-related crimes, as well as share successful experiences in lowering demands,” he noted.

The official underlined that Iran and Iraq are committed to creating a safer place for their citizens through addressing challenges posed by drug trafficking more effectively. It will enhance the stability in the region, as well.

Combating drug trafficking

In January, the Iraqi anti-narcotics police chief, Ahmed Al-Zarkani, highlighted the need to enhance joint activities on combating drug smuggling and sharing expertise between the two countries.

Lauding Iran’s efforts in the war against narcotics, Al-Zarkani said, “We welcome boosting joint activities with Iran's anti-narcotics police and look forward to expanding cooperation on other drug-related issues,” ISNA reported.

The official made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart, Iraj Kakavand.

The Iraqi official highlighted the significance of exchanging information on drug traffickers, as well.

“Targeted, comprehensive fight against anti-narcotics requires a lot of efforts and goes beyond the national borders of the two countries; by fostering cooperation, we will be able to adopt appropriate measures to deal more decisively with drug trafficking,” Al-Zarkani noted.

The Iranian official, for his part, underscored the need to intensify the fight against armed drug traffickers on the joint borders.

Controlling the borders and drug traffickers who buy and sell weapons in exchange for drug trafficking on joint borders will lower the opportunity for any criminal activities by the armed drug smugglers at borders, Kakavand stressed.

Following formerly signed memorandums of understanding, Iran’s anti-narcotics police is willing to boost collaborations on simultaneous border patrols, learning about the drug smuggling methods and transit routes, establishing a specialized team to deal with specific cases, and exchanging information on smugglers and those arrested.

MT/MG