Dhi Qar security forces seize $50,000 in counterfeit dollars after sting

DHI QAR — The Anti-Organized Crime Directorate in Dhi Qar arrested a suspect Wednesday on charges of trading counterfeit foreign currency, seizing more than $50,000 in fake cash following a period of surveillance.

A force from the directorate carried out an ambush in Nasiriyah, arresting the suspect, who was found in possession of the counterfeit dollars, a local security source told 964media. The suspect is a resident of Nasiriyah; the individual he was dealing with to purchase the fake currency is from Baghdad.

The suspect has been referred to the judiciary, the source said, describing the operation as part of ongoing efforts to pursue forgery networks and limit economic crimes.

The arrest follows similar cases in recent months. In December 2025, Iraq’s National Security Service dismantled a currency-forgery and smuggling network in Basra, arresting three suspects including a foreign national accused of moving counterfeit money into the country. That same month, the service’s units in Kirkuk arrested a man found carrying $10,000 in fake $100 bills after a sting operation; he “admitted clearly to bringing them from a neighboring country,” according to a statement at the time.

Counterfeit currency cases have declined in recent years. The Interior Ministry said in September 2025 that such crimes had dropped by 85 to 90 percent, crediting tighter judicial follow-up, expanded intelligence work and wider use of electronic payments. Brig. Gen. Ahmed Mohammed Obeid said criminal groups often attempt to push fake dinars and dollars into circulation during holidays, and that security agencies had made hundreds of arrests on fraud and trafficking charges between 2023 and 2025.