SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Sulaimani Security Forces (Asayish) in a statement on Saturday announced that they have detained a kidnapping and theft group after launching a manhunt operation.
A statement from Asayish seen by Esta Media Network said a criminal group, consisting of Kurdish as well as Arab nationals was detained who recently kidnapped a prominent Sulaimani businessman.
However, Asayish in less than 24 hours following a manhunt operation was able to rescue the businessman. He was about to be taken to the Iraqi southern provinces, according to the statement.
“The businessman was found on Baghdad-Diyala road, he was safely reunited with his family,” the statement said.
Asayish also referred to how the criminal group kidnapped the businessman, saying that in the early hours of predawn at around 4000 of local time on October 13, the group disguised themselves as military personnel and raided the businessman’s house whose name Yunis Qadir.
Qadir’s house is located in Sulaiamni downtown neighborhood of Ashti, the suspects have tortured him while the kidnapping. And an amount of Qadir’s gold and money was stolen as well by the group, the statement added.
Asayish immediately opened a probe, figuring out that the group was fleeing to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, following the crime.
As the result, they directly formed a joint coordination operation room with the Iraqi national security, Asayish said.
“After getting consent from the Head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, three units of operation teams from Asayish were moved toward Baghdad,” it said.
“In two separate operations two suspects near Baghdad and Diyala provinces were detained, and prisoner Qadir was rescued,” it added.
In the meantime, in the Kurdistan Region’s Kifiri of the Garmain administration, another suspect was detained with confiscation of the vehicle which criminals have used for their crime.
A day later, Aasyish also discovered an armory and military outfits belonging to the group without saying further details.
Speaking about an Arab national who partook in the crime, Asayish on October 16 in Iraq’s Kut detained a suspect who is associated with the criminal group.
Asayish laid emphasis that security, tranquility, and the protection of the people are their duty, and carrying out their tasks with loyalty as well as responsibility against any outlaws.
