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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities on Wednesday extradited three fugitives wanted on corruption, murder, and fraud charges back to the country as part of an intensified drive to bring suspects abroad to justice.
"The Arab and International Police Directorate (Baghdad Interpol) has successfully extradited three suspects at once, wanted on various charges related to integrity, murder, and fraud," the Interior Ministry stated, without disclosing which countries.
The ministry added that through the Baghdad Interpol and with support from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), it is "determined to pursue all fugitives wanted by the Iraqi judiciary worldwide and bring them before a fair court, in line with the government's program to combat corruption."
The operation comes amid broader efforts by Baghdad to bolster international law enforcement cooperation, a day after Federal Commission of Integrity (FCoI) chief Mohammad al-Lami met with International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) President Lucas Philippe in France.
The high-level meeting, held on the sidelines of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's official visit to Paris, focused on accelerating the tracking of suspects and removing legal hurdles to cross-border extradition.
The push notably comes months into Operation Dawn, a large-scale anti-corruption campaign launched in late June by Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi in coordination with the FCoI. The initiative saw authorities conduct dozens of targeted raids across the country, arresting over 200 government officials and employees.
During the Tuesday meeting, Lami stressed the need for international alignment to curb impunity, asserting that the transnational nature of corruption crimes—along with the associated smuggling of illicit funds and the cross-border movement of suspects—makes international cooperation a cornerstone in combating it.
Lami pointed out that heightened anti-corruption measures inside Iraq have pushed several suspects to flee the country and seek shelter abroad, exploiting international borders or differences between legal systems and legislation to evade legal prosecution and enjoy the proceeds of their crimes.
He further noted that suspects frequently resort to various tactics such as seeking refuge behind foreign citizenships, exploiting divergences among legal frameworks, and attempting to politicize criminal cases to evade extradition.
