The Media Line: Damascus and Baghdad Strengthen Security Coordination To Foil Cross-Border Drug Trafficking Networks  

Damascus and Baghdad Strengthen Security Coordination To Foil Cross-Border Drug Trafficking Networks  

Rizik Alabi/The Media Line  

Authorities in Damascus have announced the foiling of a major drug smuggling operation in cooperation with security agencies in Baghdad, in a move reflecting the growing level of security and intelligence coordination between the two countries to combat organized trafficking networks operating across borders, amid rising regional concerns over the spread of the Captagon trade.  

A source in the Syrian Ministry of Interior told The Media Line that anti-narcotics units carried out what he described as a “high-quality” security operation in Homs province, in coordination with Iraq’s General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances. The operation resulted in thwarting a plan to smuggle a large shipment of drugs out of the country.  

The source confirmed that the operation was facilitated by precise intelligence that had been exchanged through joint cooperation channels between the two sides.  

Authorities explained that the operation led to the arrest of two individuals involved in running an international network engaged in cross-border drug trafficking. They indicated that the suspects had been attempting to move a shipment of narcotic pills in preparation for smuggling them abroad before they were apprehended and the drugs were confiscated.  

A security source, who requested anonymity, told The Media Line that security agencies seized approximately 400,000 Captagon pills, estimated to weigh about 65 kilograms, which had been prepared for distribution outside Syria. The detainees were referred to the judiciary to complete investigations and take the necessary legal measures.  

This operation comes within a series of security campaigns announced by Syrian authorities in recent months targeting local and international smuggling networks, to curb the drug trade, which has become a regional security and economic threat.  

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior confirmed that the operation represents an advanced model of direct security coordination, noting that a specialized team from the General Directorate for Narcotics Affairs had moved to Syrian territory following high-level coordination with the relevant authorities in Damascus.  

This development indicates a shift in security cooperation between the two countries, from intelligence sharing to the implementation of joint field operations, reflecting a transformation in the level of security partnership to confront transnational organized crime.  

The Syrian-Iraqi border is considered one of the main routes used by smuggling networks, given the vast desert terrain and the difficulty of fully controlling it, prompting both countries to enhance intelligence coordination and security deployment in border areas.  

Security and regional reports indicate that Captagon has become one of the most prominent security challenges in the Middle East, as it is produced and trafficked in large quantities through multiple routes, including Iraq, Jordan and Gulf states.  

Over the past year, Syrian-Iraqi security coordination has witnessed several joint operations that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of hashish and Captagon, as well as the arrest of internationally wanted suspects, as part of a strategy aimed at drying up trafficking sources and strengthening regional security.  

The Iraqi intelligence service also previously announced the dismantling of an international network inside Syrian territory that had been planning to smuggle large quantities of drugs into Iraq in successive batches, reflecting the scale of the challenge posed by such networks.  

Experts believe that the growing cooperation between Damascus and Baghdad reflects an increasing recognition that combating narcotics has become part of regional national security, particularly given the links between these networks and other crimes such as arms trafficking, money laundering and the financing of armed groups.  

Border control and preventing the spread of narcotics have also become central to relations among regional states, amid international pressure to strengthen joint efforts in this field.  

Since the political changes in Syria in late 2024, authorities have been seeking to rebuild security institutions and strengthen their presence along the borders to restore full control and prevent Syrian territory from being used as a corridor for smuggling operations.  

Despite repeated security campaigns, observers believe that eliminating drug networks requires long-term efforts, including economic development in border regions, enhanced technological monitoring, and expanded regional and international cooperation.  

Officials in both countries emphasize the need for further joint operations, intelligence sharing, and the development of monitoring mechanisms to limit the ability of criminal networks to exploit the shared borders.  

Amid ongoing security challenges in the region, the fight against drugs appears to be one of the most pressing issues that will shape security cooperation among Middle Eastern countries in the coming years, especially with growing concern that this trade could become a sustainable source of funding for organized crime.