Sulaymaniyah security forces dismantle counterfeit currency and antiquities network

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — The Kurdistan Region's General Directorate of Asayish said on August 3, 2026, that it had broken up a five-member network in Sulaymaniyah accused of forging historic currency and antiquities. The directorate said the investigation unit carried out the operation in coordination with the Sulaymaniyah Asayish directorate, leading to the arrest of all five suspects. According to the statement, the group is believed to have marketed counterfeit currency and fake antiquities as genuine items both inside and outside the Kurdistan Region. The raid followed an extended surveillance and intelligence operation, the directorate added. The suspects were referred for legal proceedings under Article 24 of the Antiquities Law. Officials said the investigation is continuing to determine the network's broader connections and the full scale of its activities.