Abu Ghraib police arrest suspect accused of electronic blackmail

BAGHDAD — Baghdad’s Karkh Police Command said it arrested a suspect “caught in the act” of electronic blackmail in Abu Ghraib after he allegedly threatened to publish private messages and personal photos of a young woman.

In a statement, police said: “Baghdad Karkh police arrested an electronic blackmailer in the act.”

Police said the arrest was carried out by Abu Ghraib patrol units in coordination with the local police station after the woman filed a complaint reporting that an unidentified person was threatening to expose her private content. Authorities said they launched an operation that resulted in the suspect’s arrest and the seizure of the mobile phone allegedly used in the crime.

The suspect was transferred to Abu Ghraib police station and legal procedures were initiated, police said.

The command said it continues to pursue individuals involved in electronic blackmail and urged residents not to yield to threats and to report cases through official channels.

In August, Baghdad Operations Command said a joint operation in the Ghazaliya area led to the arrest of four suspects accused of online blackmail and armed threats following a complaint from a woman. Separately, the judiciary’s media office said the Rasafa Criminal Court sentenced a man on Aug. 18, 2025, to six years in prison for blackmailing a woman using AI-generated images, citing Article 430/1 of the Iraqi Penal Code.