Sulaymaniyah police arrest three for illegal wild partridge capture

SULAYMANIYAH — Authorities arrested three individuals in Sharazur, Sulaymaniyah, for illegally capturing wildlife, releasing 11 live partridges back into the wild, according to Hemin Kamarkhan, spokesperson for Sulaymaniyah’s Forestry and Environment Police.

In coordination with the Arbat Forestry Police Station and security forces at the Arbat checkpoint, three individuals were apprehended on charges of capturing wildlife, specifically partridges. Authorities seized a vehicle, 11 live partridges, 14 captured birds, a cage, and five mobile phones during the operation.

“By court decision, the 11 partridges were released back into their natural habitat,” Kamarkhan told 964media. He added that the Forestry Police referred the suspects for investigation and subsequently handed them over to the judiciary.

Kamar Khan emphasized ongoing efforts to combat wildlife poaching and protect biodiversity. He stated that in November alone, approximately 30 poachers were arrested and prosecuted.

In addition to these arrests, the Sulaymaniyah Forestry and Environment Police apprehended two individuals in the Germak area of Penjwen and another individual in the village of Saray Subhan Agha in Said Sadiq on charges of illegal well digging.

The arrests are part of a heightened effort to curb poaching in the governorate’s protected areas. Last week, five suspected poachers were arrested in the Chamchamal district of Sulaymaniyah, where authorities found firearms and evidence of illegal wildlife hunting.