UN, Aug 28: Iraq is facing an upsurge in violent crime, including kidnapping and murder with rising incidents of drug trafficking, and much more needs to be done to fight organised crime, a report by UN crime mission says. The four-member team from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which traveled extensively across the country during a two-week visit, concluded that the impact of damage and looting to police infrastructure after the war and the existence of sophisticated smuggling networks provided fertile ground for organised crime.
The mission recommends improved legal assistance, institution and capacity building, prevention of drug abuse and the promotion of Iraq's reintegration into regional and international cooperation agreements.
It found that though significant progress has been made by the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in rebuilding and reopening police stations, as well as in providing basic training and a limited amount of equipment, much more remains to be done, particularly in developing specialised capabilities to tackle organised crime and drug trafficking.
Theft of oil and copper and trafficking in these products is currently a major problem, the team says. The evolving nature of organised crime in Iraq is based on sophisticated smuggling networks, many established under the previous regime to circumvent UN sanctions.
Bureau Report