Two inmates die in Basra prison as Iraqi police crack down on medical brokers

BASRA, Iraq — Two inmates died in a prison in Basra from health complications, local security sources said. One had been held on human trafficking charges; the other, detained on drug offenses, suffered a stroke. In a separate operation, Salahaddin provincial police said they carried out preventive security sweeps across their areas of responsibility, detaining numerous suspects wanted on terrorism, theft, kidnapping and forgery charges. In Babil province, police in Hille carried out a wide inspection targeting medical brokers, who refer patients to doctors in exchange for illegal commissions and cause hardship for patients, according to a police statement. Unlicensed nursing clinics and dental polyclinics operating without permits were shut down. Judicial proceedings related to the cases are ongoing, officials said.