An Iraqi court has sentenced a suspected member of the Foxtrot international criminal network to life imprisonment as the country steps up efforts to combat drug trafficking and dismantle transnational organised crime.
The Supreme Judicial Council said the Karkh Criminal Court found the defendant guilty of belonging to the Foxtrot gang, which is accused of trafficking narcotics across Europe.
According to the court, the convicted individual used the encrypted messaging platform Signal to advertise and distribute drugs and relied on cryptocurrencies to facilitate financial transactions linked to the network’s activities.
The ruling is part of Iraq’s wider campaign against organised drug trafficking, which has increasingly targeted international criminal groups operating inside the country.
In December, Iraqi intelligence and security forces in the Kurdistan Region arrested Ali Shehab, a senior member of the Sweden-based Foxtrot network, during a joint operation conducted with Swedish authorities. Shehab is considered a close associate of the group’s founder, Rawa Majid, who is internationally wanted over alleged involvement in organised crime across Northern Europe.
Iraqi authorities have accused the network of attempting to use the country as a base for drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
The latest conviction comes as Iraq continues to expand its anti-narcotics operations. The Iraqi National Security Service announced the arrest of 62 suspects in July on charges related to drug trafficking and distribution.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Interior said security forces had dismantled 1,538 drug trafficking networks over the past three years, including 234 transnational groups. Authorities have also seized more than 1.5 tonnes of narcotics and secured nearly 2,500 drug-related convictions during the first five months of 2026.
Iraq has also strengthened international cooperation by establishing dozens of intelligence coordination channels with foreign partners and issuing more than 150 international arrest warrants for suspects wanted in drug-related cases.
A 2024 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime described Iraq as both a destination and a transit route for narcotics moving between Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Europe.
