Cash, bank cards, receipts and rubber bands are seen inside a drawer at the currency exchange office targeted in an armed robbery in Sulaymaniyah. Photo by 964media.
Sulaymaniyah police arrest two in $50,000 exchange office heist
SULAYMANIYAH — Security forces arrested two suspects accused of robbing a currency exchange office at gunpoint, less than 20 hours after the holdup, the Asayish Directorate said Wednesday.
The robbery took place late Monday in the Raparin neighborhood, where two masked men stormed the office and fled with cash on a motorcycle.
“They put a gun to my head and took nearly $50,000,” office owner Shalaw Abdullah told 964media on Tuesday.
Abdullah said the suspects closed the door after entering, turned off the lights and threatened him while carrying a bag. “One of them gathered the money, and then they fled on a motorcycle under threat,” he said. The stolen cash included multiple currencies.
Police spokesperson Ari Latif said investigators reviewed surveillance footage but initially struggled to identify the suspects because they were masked.
The Asayish said it recovered stolen money and seized weapons from the suspects, who are being held under Article 443 of Iraq’s Penal Code. Investigations are ongoing.