Iraqi trade toils amid bribes and bombs

With IS targeting the country’s Christians who have traditionally sold liquor and trade routes tolled by militias at up to $15,000 per truck, the Iraqi alcohol trade is struggling to survive.

The trade routes of Iraq are either in control of Islamic State or are tolled by militias charging thousands of dollars (Photo: Wiki)

Prices of beer, wine and spirits in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad have soured amid the chaos of war that has been sweeping the country for the past number of months.

The price of a can of Heineken beer has surged from $1 to $5, and a bottle of the popular whiskey Black Jack has gone from $15 to $50.

“Drinking is our only way to forget about the mayhem, but it’s become very expensive,” businessman Laith Nadhum, 42, told Bloomberg.

Deliveries heading to the Iraqi capital – where previously consumers of all faiths, including moderate muslims, could congregate to enjoy alcohol – are having to risk encroaching into territory under the control of Islamic State.

The terrorists’ hatred of alcohol is matched only by their opposition to those of a different faith or ideology who might enjoy drinking.

To avoid this, shipments travailing into safer territory often incur charges from checkpoints set up by armed Shiite militias fighting IS – and costs of up to $15,000 per truck are not uncommon, Bloomberg reports.

“Nothing is free, owners pay ransoms and free alcohol to these army checkpoints in exchange for protection,” said Ahmed Shukur, a resident of Ameriya in the west of Baghdad, and a consumer himself.

A truck travelling near the Iraq border in Jordan (Photo: WSJ)

The main routes for Iraqi merchants to import alcohol previously ran from the neighbouring states of Jordan and Turkey. The former is now closed as it required trucks to go through Anbar province, one of the first areas of Iraq to be overrun by IS.

Trucks carrying alcohol from Turkey have been forced to use areas controlled by Shiite militias, facing the extortionate charges.

Sellers in Baghdad have also come under attack, forcing many to close shops and causing the prices to soar. In December last year, gunmen attacked several stores and killed nine people.

“We are increasingly losing our customers because of the security situation, a lot of them fled the country,” said Saad, a Christian alcohol trader.

The threat of attack has forced any remaining drinkers into exclusive social clubs, which are protected by private security companies and charge a premium.

Shukur, who used to pay $1.50 for a bottle of cheap vodka, is now paying $5 and is faced with the prospect of drinking less. “It has become very unaffordable,” he said.