Iraq nets 500 wanted suspects in one month amid nationwide security sweep

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Some 500 wanted suspects have been arrested in Baghdad and several other provinces, Iraq's National Intelligence Service (INSS) announced Tuesday, as the country launches a new intelligence-driven sweep dubbed Operation Shadow of Justice.

The Operation aims to "execute all past and present arrest warrants against individuals wanted for various crimes, particularly those who have changed their places of residence or work, or forged their official documents," INSS spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim said in a statement.

"After one full month of implementation, the number of individuals arrested so far stands at 500 suspects, all of whom have been referred to the competent investigative authorities," he added, affirming the effort would "continue until all arrest warrants have been executed."

Moreover, Operation Shadow of Justice was framed as a “security and intelligence operation” that is being implemented across Baghdad and other provinces under the direct supervision of the INSS director Basim al-Badri and “with continuous oversight” by the Iraqi judiciary. 

The push notably comes months into Operation Dawn, a large-scale anti-corruption campaign launched in late June by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in coordination with the Federal Commission of Integrity (FCoI). The initiative saw authorities conduct dozens of targeted raids across the country, arresting over 200 government officials and employees.

Iraqi authorities have also recovered over $1 billion in assets and real estate during the anti-corruption drive, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said Saturday, adding that the FCoI has received more than 26,000 corruption reports since Operation Dawn began.

Additionally, in his mid-May inaugural address before the Iraqi parliament, Prime Minister Zaidi also vowed sweeping security reforms, including "confining weapons to state control," with the aim of enforcing the rule of law, strengthening the country's security, intelligence, and military capabilities, and ensuring that decisions of war and peace remain exclusively in state hands.