Court sentences man for impersonating counterterrorism officer

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Central Criminal Court on Tuesday issued two 10-year prison sentences against a convicted man for impersonating an officer holding the ranks of “major” and “captain” in the Counter Terrorism Service.

According to a statement from the Supreme Judicial Council’s media office, the convict “impersonated these two ranks to obtain material benefits in exchange for promises to appoint citizens to the Counter Terrorism Service.”

The statement said authorities seized from the suspect “a national ID card and forged appointment letters, as well as a number of seals bearing the names of individuals and currency exchange companies.”

It added that the two sentences were issued “pursuant to the provisions of Decision 160/First/1-2 of 1983, as amended.”

Recent cases in Iraq have shown a pattern of individuals impersonating officials or using false identities to defraud others. In June 2025, an inmate in Baghdad was identified as posing as an airport officer and running an extortion scheme from inside prison, and authorities referred him to a judge for investigation. During the same period, Iraq’s National Security Service arrested three people in Diwaniyah and Diyala for posing as officers and offering fake job appointments in exchange for money.

In July 2025, two suspects were arrested in Baghdad for impersonating advisers to the prime minister and defrauding Yazidi citizens by collecting payments for false military recruitment offers using forged documents.  In September 2025, a man was detained by Popular Mobilization Forces security units in Baghdad for impersonating PMF officials and convincing citizens to pay money for bogus job appointments, and police in the Karrada area also arrested a three-member gang accused of posing as security personnel and stealing from citizens.

Earlier in July 2025, a man was arrested in Baghdad for impersonating a judge on social media and defrauding victims using fake accounts and forged documents.  These cases reflect ongoing efforts by Iraqi authorities to crack down on various forms of impersonation and fraud involving false claims of official authority.