Iraqi forces arrest six suspected human traffickers in Hillah

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Defense said six suspected members of a human trafficking network were arrested in an operation in Hillah, the provincial capital of Babel. The group comprises two men and four women, according to a ministry statement. The ministry said the operation was carried out by a joint force drawn from the Babel Field Intelligence and Directorate of Security and the province's Anti-Human Trafficking Branch. Agents set up a sting in central Hillah based on intelligence leads and detained the suspects in the act, the statement said. The detentions were carried out after the required judicial approvals were obtained, the ministry added. It said legal proceedings have been initiated and the case file will be referred to the relevant courts. No further details on the alleged trafficking activities were immediately available.