Iraqi Forces Detain 23 Pakistani Nationals Hiding in Water Tanker

BASRA — Iraqi intelligence forces arrested 23 Pakistani nationals on Thursday after discovering them concealed inside a tanker truck designed to carry fresh water. The group had reportedly been smuggled into the country and was apprehended near the eastern breakwater of the Grand Fao Port, located in southern Iraq’s Basra governorate.

According to a security source who spoke to 964media, “At 4 a.m., intelligence forces arrested 23 Pakistani nationals.”

The individuals were found during an inspection of the tanker. Authorities say the migrants had entered Iraq illegally with the assistance of human smugglers. “They were smuggled by those who exploit others,” the source said.

Following the operation, security forces arrested the driver of the vehicle believed to have been used in the smuggling effort. His statement was officially recorded, and legal proceedings are expected to follow, the source said.

The detained individuals were transferred first to the Port Police Station and then to the Police Station in Fao District for further investigation.

Iraq is home to an estimated 1 million foreign workers, but only 71,000 have registered work contracts, according to the Ministry of Labor. The country relies on Labor Law No. 37 of 2015 and the Foreigners’ Residence Law No. 118 of 1978, requiring foreign workers to obtain valid passports, entry visas, and permits. Violators can face fines of up to $500 and deportation.

Iraqi authorities have initiated a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals violating residency regulations, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of individuals.

Multiple similar incidents have been documented in Sulaymaniyah governorate in recent weeks, highlighting a broader pattern of illegal border crossings by foreign nationals attempting to enter the Kurdistan Region and Iraq without proper residency permits. On February 22, Iraq’s Border Guard Command reported the arrest of six individuals during two separate operations by the 2nd Battalion of the 21st Border Brigade. According to the statement, the detainees were attempting to bypass legal entry procedures, and legal proceedings have since begun. Just days earlier, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of 10 more individuals of various nationalities for similar attempts to cross into Iraq illegally through Sulaymaniyah.