Kirkuk police have arrested three women accused of operating as a gang involved in pickpocketing and theft targeting shoppers and residents in a busy market in the center of the province.
Kirkuk Police Chief Major General Fattah Al-Khafaji said personnel from the Azadi Criminal Investigation Office tracked the suspects following reports of theft incidents involving citizens and shoppers. He noted that the three women had entered Kirkuk during the past week and allegedly began carrying out thefts at the Grand Market.
He said criminal investigation teams stepped up surveillance and intelligence efforts, eventually identifying the suspects’ movements and setting up a security ambush that led to their arrest while they were allegedly caught in the act.
Al-Khafaji added that the necessary legal procedures were completed and the suspects’ statements were recorded. A judicial investigator ordered their detention under Article 446 of the Iraqi Penal Code, with the case referred to the competent court for further legal action.
