Kirkuk police arrest man over 825 million dinar exchange theft

KIRKUK — Kirkuk police said Saturday they had arrested a man accused of stealing 825 million dinars (about $625,000 at the official rate) from a currency exchange in the governorate, after a monthslong investigation that ended with his capture in Baghdad.

In a statement, Kirkuk Police Command said the suspect was arrested in an operation by the Kirkuk Crime Directorate under the supervision of Kirkuk Police Commander Maj. Gen. Fattah Mahmoud Yassin al-Khafaji.

Police described the case as the largest theft recorded in Kirkuk in 2024.

The suspect allegedly stole the money from the owner of a currency exchange in Kirkuk in 2024 before moving repeatedly between governorates to avoid arrest, the statement said.

Police said investigators ran technical and field surveillance for several months before locating the suspect in Baghdad, then coordinated with Baghdad’s Rusafa Police Command and intelligence agencies for what the statement described as a carefully planned raid that led to his arrest.

Police said the suspect gave a full confession during questioning and was referred to the judiciary to complete legal proceedings.