Al-Amara: The Maysan Governorate Police Command announced the dismantling of a criminal gang involved in systematic kidnapping and harassment targeting female middle and high school students in various areas of the city of Al-Amara.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Command stated in a statement: “The arrest of six members of the gang came after gathering information from several schools and their districts, in addition to conducting precise aerial and field surveillance operations. This followed several complaints and appeals from citizens and parents regarding repeated acts of harassment by a number of young ‘tik-tok’ and modern motorcycle drivers.”

The statement added: “The arrests were made through targeted raids conducted day and night in various areas of the city.” The statement noted that the defendants confessed during investigation to committing several acts of harassment and two kidnappings for immoral reasons, luring female students as they left school using intimidation tactics.

The police Command confirmed that legal action had been taken against the defendants and that they had been duly arrested in accordance with Article 422 of the Penal Code. Investigations are ongoing to uncover any additional involvement and determine the extent of their activities.