Iraq arrests suspects for murder, drug trafficking

Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have arrested two men convicted in absentia of committing a 2022 massacre in Diyala governorate, where they killed a family of three, a security source said on Monday.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “Diyala police, in collaboration with the Intelligence Falcons Cell, apprehended two criminals sentenced to death by hanging in absentia.”

The source added that the suspects were convicted of the killing of Kanaan Salman Hamza and two of his sons near the town of Muqdadiya, northeast of Diyala, in 2022, after which they fled to an unknown location.

Separately, Baghdad Operations Command confirmed the arrest of a suspect for premeditated murder, along with two others involved in drug trafficking in the eastern part of the capital.

In a statement, the command said, “A well-executed ambush led to the arrest of the murder suspect, along with two individuals found in possession of a quantity of crystal meth, an unlicensed handgun, drug paraphernalia, and a motorcycle. They have been referred, along with the seized items, to the relevant authorities to complete the legal procedures.”