Erbil arrests smuggling suspect over three child deaths
Shafaq News- Erbil
Security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan Region (KRI) arrested a suspected human smuggler after three children from an Al-Sulaymaniyah family drowned when their inflatable boat sank in a river in Turkiye during an attempt to leave the country, the Erbil Asayish Directorate said.
The victims were identified as Hestyar, Haryad, and Mila. The directorate said investigators identified the suspect by the initials R.A.M. and that he was taken into custody upon returning to the KRI under an order from an Erbil Asayish investigating judge.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry dismantled 36 organized crime networks involved in human trafficking, labor smuggling, and organ trade during the first three months of 2026.
Read more: 2.3K lives lost: Iraq's grim toll of human trafficking
