ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Seven masked men who carjacked a vehicle containing at least $1 million in healthcare salaries on a busy street in Sulaimani yesterday were apprehended and the money was recovered in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Kurdish minister of finance said.
“The salaries of Shar Hospital employees have now been recovered and the culprits have been arrested in cooperation with the ministry of interior, Asayesh, police, counter-terrorism forces, the relevant institutions of the province of Sulaimani, and the people,” Minister of Finance of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Rebaz Hamlan said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday.
Hamlan thanked all security forces for their efforts in recovering the money and arresting the criminals. He hoped that banks coordinate with security forces before starting to transfer money to other locations.
The seven robbers are from Sulaimani, local police and Asayesh also said in a press conference on Wednesday.
The authorities said the head of the group lives near the bank and an employee of the hospital which was supposed to receive the money might have an indirect connection with the incident.
The robbers are from Sulaimani, according to police, who also confirmed no amount from the money is missing and that the cash will be handed to Shar Hospital today.
Sulaimani officials acknowledged the robbery that occurred on Tuesday.
“A Sulaimani Health vehicle transporting salaries of employees from Rashid Bank was stopped by a vehicle on Tuesday on a road between Orzdi and Ibrahim Pasha Streets and the money was stolen," police told Xendan.
KRG Health Minister Rekawt Hamarashid said on Tuesday that the money will be returned to the hospital's employees.