Suspect arrested after forgery lab uncovered in Sadr City

BAGHDAD — Police and anti-crime units in Sadr City arrested a man accused of producing forged official documents and operating a full-scale forgery lab in the Umm Al-Kabar wa Al-Ghazlan area, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

The arrest was made during a planned operation involving the First Sadr Police Department, the First Sadr Anti-Crime Unit, and Al-Jazaer Police Station. The ministry said the raid followed a tip from a confidential source and was conducted with judicial authorization.

The suspect was caught in the act and later confessed to operating the forgery facility, according to the statement.

Security forces seized industrial printers, government stamps, blank customs forms, and forged documents, including vehicle registration papers and traffic plates. Officials said the materials included seals from judicial, traffic, security, and customs departments.

The suspect was transferred to the appropriate authorities and investigations are ongoing to identify others involved.

The arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on forgery and fraud. Earlier this month, Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity detained the director of the Bani Saad Agriculture Division in Diyala, along with three employees, over charges of falsifying wheat marketing records. In May, seven government employees in Salah Al-Din were arrested for forgery and fraud linked to property sales and pension payments.