Police raid two illegal alcohol storage sites in Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Rusafah police said they uncovered two storage sites holding alcoholic beverages in violation of legal regulations in Baghdad’s Fadwa Arab area.

In a statement, the command said patrols from the Fifth Emergency Regiment seized a large quantity of alcohol stored in two separate locations during a security sweep in the neighborhood. The confiscated goods were handed over to the local police station in line with legal procedures.

The operation comes amid continued enforcement of a 2016 law that bans the import, production and sale of alcoholic beverages in federal Iraq. The legislation has been criticized by minority communities, including Christians and Yazidis, who have long been involved in the liquor trade. The ban does not apply in the Kurdistan Region.