Iraq security brief: Police stop balloon smuggling, antiquities traffickers arrested in Wasit

Shafaq News

Below is a summary of key security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on December 3, 2025.

- Border Forces Foil Two Balloon-Smuggling Attempts (Al-Anbar)

Iraq’s Border Forces Command blocked two separate attempts to smuggle narcotics using hot-air balloons—intercepting 98,000 pills weighing 18 kg in Al-Anbar and seizing another 102,000 pills weighing 19.5 kg on the Maysan frontier.

- Security Sweep Nets 48 Suspects in Kirkuk (Kirkuk)

Kirkuk security forces arrested 48 people over 24 hours—including an arms dealer practicing sorcery and others found with valuable antiquities—while also detaining wanted suspects, armed offenders, and individuals involved in street altercations.

- Police Arrest Baghdad Residents Carrying Antiquities (Wasit)

Wasit Police said a joint checkpoint detained two Baghdad residents carrying six valuable archaeological pieces, including statues and cylinder seals, and referred them to judicial authorities.

- Man Caught with Sorcery Tools and Weapons (Diyala)

Diyala Police Department stated that it arrested a man in Muqdadiya after finding weapons and items allegedly used for sorcery inside his home.

- Interior Ministry Detains Social Media Figure (Baghdad)

A security source told Shafaq News Interior Ministry units arrested Zahraa Ali, known as Juan, after securing judicial approval over charges of publishing content deemed offensive to public morals.

- Suspect Arrested for Fatal Stabbing (Baghdad)

Baghdad’s Rasafa Police arrested a fugitive accused of killing a man stabbing him multiple times during a fight in the Al-Mashtal area.

- Interior Ministry Reports Drop in Tribal Clashes (Nationwide)

Interior Ministry Spokesman, Muqdad Miri, noted that tribal conflicts have declined nationwide but remain steady in Maysan, adding that strict enforcement continues to curb armed tribal disputes.

- Student Drowns During School Trip (Dhi Qar)

A security source stated to Shafaq News that a student drowned in the Euphrates River during a school outing in central Nasiriyah, with police recovering the body and opening an investigation.

- Four Killed in Two Road Accidents (Nineveh)

A security source in Nineveh told Shafaq News that two brothers died in a vehicle crash in Sinjar, while two women were killed in a separate hit-and-run incident in the Kokjali area east of Mosul.

- Army Captain Dies in Traffic Accident (Babil)

A security source announced the death of an army captain died in a traffic accident on the Hilla highway while returning from duty.

- Two Dead and One Critically Injured in Crash (Dhi Qar)

A security source said two people died and a third was critically injured when a civilian vehicle overturned in Al-Gharraf district north of Nasiriyah.