Iraq seizes $20 million, 60 kilos of gold in major corruption case

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi judiciary has officially confiscated $20.3 million in cash, 60 kilograms of gold, 200 million Iraqi dinars, and seven luxury vehicles in a significant operation related to Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Adnan al-Jumaili’s widening corruption case.

On Sunday, Investigating Judge Diaa Jaafar of the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court announced the large-scale recovery of assets, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The operation was carried out in close collaboration between Iraq’s federal authorities and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The seizures are part of an anti-corruption campaign aimed at recovering state funds lost due to financial mismanagement, embezzlement of refinery projects, and illicit contracts involving al-Jumaili and his associates.

Al-Jumaili was arrested in May 2026 during the intensive anti-corruption campaign led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

This particular case has evolved into one of the most extensive corruption investigations in contemporary Iraqi history, with unusual hideouts for stolen state assets.

Over the past few months, detectives monitoring al-Jumaili’s network have discovered hundreds of millions of dollars and gold bars concealed behind residential walls, buried in plastic water bottles, and placed within a rainwater catch basin.

According to Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, the total assets collected during the investigation with al-Jumaili surpass $125 million in cash, including hundreds of kilos of gold and dozens of luxurious properties.

The Iraqi judiciary emphasized that al-Jumaili’s confessions have brought into question dozens of lawmakers and senior government officials.