The Ministry of Interior announced the dismantling of 57 international drug trafficking networks in Iraq. The Ministry stated in a statement: "The General Directorate of Narcotics Affairs inflicted heavy losses on international traffickers by implementing preemptive strikes and qualitative operations, after implementing an unprecedented series of successive arrests that succeeded in fully reaching (57) international drug networks, their routes, smuggling methods, and methods of hiding narcotic substances." It explained: "The dismantling of the networks was carried out in accordance with judicial decisions issued by the Central Investigation Court in Rusafa, the First Karkh Investigation Court, and the competent investigation courts in the governorates. Source: National Iraqi News Agency