Shafaq News/ A security source in the Iraqi police reported on Thursday evening that a truck loaded with large amounts of Syrian pounds had been seized.

The source informed Shafaq News that a force from Kirkuk police, after receiving intelligence about the presence of large quantities of Syrian currency on a truck, set up an ambush for the vehicle on the Kirkuk – Sulaymaniyah road.

The source clarified that "the truck was coming from Al-Qaim in Anbar heading towards Sulaymaniyah."

The truck was seized by a specialized team, and the smuggled amount is being counted, following the arrest of the truck drivers.

Additionally, the Najaf Airport border control department managed to seize 200 million Syrian Lira possessed by Iraqi passengers.

Currency smuggling, particularly the smuggling of US dollars, remains one of the major security and economic challenges in Iraq.

Last August, the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament announced that it had gained control over currency smuggling gangs by 80%, after delivering "targeted strikes against money smuggling mafias in Iraq."