Samarra police deny kidnapping claims, say fraud suspects exploited militia name

SALAH AL-DIN — Police in the city of Samarra on Friday denied widespread social media reports of kidnappings, saying the claims were based on a fraud case involving two suspects who falsely claimed ties to a local armed group.

“Samarra Police deny the circulating reports about kidnappings and call on the public to rely on official and trustworthy sources for information,” the department said in a statement.

Authorities clarified that the case involved blackmail and financial extortion, not abduction. Two suspects — one from the Adhiya area and the other from the Badri tribe — allegedly impersonated members of Saraya al-Salam, a paramilitary group affiliated with Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces and loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Police said the suspects targeted a citizen identified by initials D.K.A. One suspect appeared voluntarily after being summoned, and the second turned himself in. “They were confronted with evidence and audio recordings and admitted to committing fraud and extortion,” the statement said.

Both were transferred to the Samarra Criminal Investigation Office and are being held under Article 456 of Iraq’s Penal Code, which pertains to fraud-related crimes. Legal proceedings are ongoing.