Iraq busts 60+ sex exploitation rings, arrests dozens of sorcerers
Over 60 sex trafficking networks were dismantled and 82 individuals accused of sorcery and fortune-telling were arrested during the first half of 2025, the Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Thursday.
According to Colonel Abbas al-Bahadli, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency uncovered and dismantled 62 sex exploitation networks, along with 9 human organ trafficking rings, 15 forced labor groups, 4 child-selling operations, and 6 networks involved in organized begging.
Al-Bahadli also confirmed the arrest of 82 individuals accused of practicing sorcery and witchcraft, which remain criminal offenses in Iraq.
Iraq's Interior Ministry had issued a directive in 2017 to close offices linked to witchcraft and spiritual fraud, many of which had spread across Baghdad and other provinces. Despite this, such practices have persisted, often fueled by growing social distress, economic hardship, and public disillusionment.
Observers note that women are disproportionately drawn to sorcery and fortune-telling in Iraq, driven by societal pressures, insecurity, and limited access to formal psychological or social support.
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