Iraq busts scheme to sell national IDs with fake names to ISIS members: Police

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq's Ministry of Interior announced on Friday that it had apprehended and charged multiple suspects in a conspiracy to produce and sell official identity documents with false names in Mosul to be distributed to Islamic State members.

"The operation came as a result of background information received by the Office of the Inspector-General which showed that criminals cooperating with officers and associates" were creating "civilian identities and certificates of nationality... for large sums of money," the ministry said in a statement, as reported by Alsumaria News.

According to the information released, among the different documents being produced was the Iraq National Card, a photo ID first issued in 2016 which includes biometric data.

The statement continued, "A team was formed that was able to gather information about a person who is engaged in counterfeiting and forgery involved in such illegal acts... and managed to ambush the accused and seize the delivery of civil IDs and certificates of nationality."

The office pointed out that "an arrest warrant was prepared" for one of the suspects taken into custody and that interrogations "are continuing with him to identify those involved with him from the workers in the Mosul office."

Earlier this week, the Inspector General's office announced the arrest two others for involvement in the scheme to supply Islamic State members "and their families living outside the country with Iraqi identity cards and certificates."