Counterfeit currency crimes drop sharply in Iraq, says Interior Ministry

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Ministry said counterfeit currency crimes have fallen by 85 to 90 percent in 2025 compared with previous years, crediting tighter enforcement and economic reforms.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed Mohammed Obeid, director of the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency, told Al-Sabah newspaper that the decline followed “a package of deterrent security and economic measures to combat this phenomenon in different governorates.” He called counterfeiting “one of the most dangerous crimes affecting the national economy and citizens’ trust in the local currency.”

Obeid said measures included “tightening judicial follow-ups, intensifying intelligence work, adopting electronic payment in state institutions, and reducing direct cash transactions.” He added these efforts led to the arrest of counterfeiters and the seizure of fake dinars and dollars.

He noted that criminal groups often attempt to circulate counterfeit notes during holidays.

The agency also reported broader security operations between 2023 and 2025 that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of suspects on charges ranging from currency fraud to human organ trade, forced labor, child trafficking, begging, sorcery, and sexual exploitation. Obeid said all defendants were referred to the judiciary, where courts issued sentences.