Two arrested for selling and repairing exam cheating devices

SULAYMANIYAH — Security forces in Sulaymaniyah governorate announced the arrest of two individuals accused of selling and repairing wireless cheating headsets used during exams.

According to a statement released on Sunday, May 25, by the Sulaymaniyah Security Directorate, the arrests took place on May 18 following an investigation and the collection of intelligence. The suspects were allegedly operating through online platforms, offering the devices for sale and maintenance.

The suspects were allegedly selling the devices to students, particularly those preparing for the 12th-grade exams, which play a critical role in determining university admission in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The method involves concealing a mobile phone or a GSM box under the student’s clothing and inserting a tiny wireless headset deep inside the ear, making it nearly impossible to detect during inspection.

During the exam, the student quietly calls someone outside the testing center, reads the questions aloud, and receives the answers through the hidden earpiece.

The directorate said the operation was conducted under judicial orders and in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Education. “These suspects have been arrested under Article 240 of the Iraqi Penal Code, and investigations into their cases are ongoing,” the statement said.