Sinjar Cement Factory officials arrested on corruption, internet smuggling charges

SINJAR — A security official and the director of the Sinjar Cement Factory were arrested Wednesday on charges related to financial corruption, internet smuggling and abuse of power, according to a security source.

“A force from the National Security Service arrested a security official at the Sinjar Cement Factory in the act of accepting a bribe,” the source told 964media.

The factory director was also detained after evidence linked him to unauthorized internet operations. Authorities suspect the facility may have been involved in illegal access to fiber-optic internet infrastructure.

“The fiber-optic internet cable passes directly in front of the factory gate, which raised suspicions about smuggling operations,” the source said. Investigations are ongoing, and legal action is expected.

Internet smuggling is the local term for the unauthorized use or resale of internet services by tapping into government-owned or private fiber-optic lines and redistributing the connection without approval.

The Sinjar Cement Factory operates under the State Company for Iraqi Cement, part of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, through a production-sharing agreement with Sinjar Cement Company for Cement Industry Ltd.