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
