GIS-Based Assessment of Criminal Networks: Drug Trafficking in Iraq

Organized crimes of drug trafficking of all kinds have become a concern for societies due to their devastating negative effects on societal values and human activities. Many factors have contributed to the spread of this phenomenon, the most important of which are political, economic, and social. This study comes to shed light on the drug trade that has affected the Iraqi governorates for the purpose of analyzing and evaluating its distribution, and by applying the statistical analytical approach to analyze organized crime data for types of drugs for the year 2022, which was provided by the competent government authorities. We used modern technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS). Through this research, we reached the results that Baghdad Governorate is considered among the governorates that contain the highest percentage of drug users of all types, and this is according to the number of drug users whose numbers were recorded in many hospitals and in all governorates. In addition to this, we have found that geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques are effective, as they contribute to knowing the types, concentration, and spread of drugs in Iraq to evaluate organized criminal operations in the drug trade. They are also considered helpful tools for decision-making in developing appropriate plans to limit the spread of these serious crimes.