Babylon police arrest 2018 assault suspect after eight years on the run

BABYL, Iraq — Police in Babil province have arrested a suspect in an assault case dating back to 2018, the Babil Provincial Police Command announced. According to a written statement from the command, the victim was attacked by three people that year, after which the suspects disappeared and arrest warrants were issued. The command said courts issued in absentia rulings in 2020 sentencing the three defendants to 15 years in prison. A district-level investigation team, working with cybersecurity and digital analysis specialists, traced the suspects' phone numbers and linked accounts using technical methods, leading to the capture of two of the three and the confirmation of their sentences. Continued intelligence work and field surveillance eventually located the third suspect, who was detained in a planned operation after eight years as a fugitive. The command said the individual has been referred to the competent court for the enforcement of the in absentia ruling. No further details were immediately available.