Stolen Picasso painting seized in security operation in Diyala
Iraqi security forces. Photo: Russia Today
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced it arrested a group of drug dealers possessing a stolen painting by Picasso worth millions of dollars, in a security operation in Diyala governorate, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The spokesperson of the General Directorate of Narcotics Control of the Ministry of Interior, Bilal Sobhi, said in a statement that the directorate carried out an operation in Diyala governorate in which three suspects were arrested for trafficking and transporting drugs, and a painting worth millions of dollars by the famous Spanish painter Picasso was found in their possession.
“It is one of the major security operations carried out by the General Directorate for Narcotics Control,” Sobhi said.
“The directorate relies on intelligence information and cooperates with other security agencies including the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) and the National Security Agency,” Sobhi explained.
“The General Directorate for Narcotics Control arrested 1,300 drug dealers and users during July, and seized 46 kilograms of drugs including 37 kilograms of Crystal,” Sobhi elaborated.
Drug dealing is usually linked to other crimes such as murder, theft, kidnapping, rape, corruption, as well as atrifact smuggling.