Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity announced on Wednesday the arrest of six employees at the Chiman customs crossing in Kirkuk province on charges of extorting citizens and accepting bribes in exchange for facilitating customs procedures.

In a statement, the commission said the suspects were apprehended during a coordinated operation conducted by its Kirkuk Investigation Office in cooperation with the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS). The operation followed a period of investigation and surveillance carried out under a judicial warrant.

According to the commission, the six employees were caught in the act of receiving bribes from a customs broker in return for processing and expediting customs transactions.

“Following investigation and surveillance, the operation resulted in the arrest of six employees at the Chiman customs crossing,” the statement said. “They were caught red-handed while receiving bribes from a customs broker to facilitate and process paperwork.”

The commission added that investigators had carefully monitored the suspects’ activities before setting up what it described as a “tight ambush” that led to their arrest.

The latest arrests come amid ongoing efforts by Iraqi authorities to combat corruption across state institutions. Earlier this month, the Commission of Integrity announced that it had thwarted an attempt to fraudulently obtain approximately 1.5 trillion Iraqi dinars (around $1.15 billion) through forged checks and fabricated financial documents.

At the time, the commission reported seizing seven forged checks allegedly issued by al-Rashid and al-Rafidain banks, with a combined value of approximately 1.5 trillion dinars. Investigators also uncovered a forged deposit sale contract worth 612 billion Iraqi dinars (nearly $467 million), which authorities said was used as part of the scheme.

Despite recent efforts to strengthen oversight mechanisms and expand the digitization of government and financial services, corruption remains one of Iraq’s most persistent challenges. According to the latest assessments by Transparency International, Iraq ranks 136th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring 28 out of 100.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to place anti-corruption measures at the center of his government's reform agenda.

“The path of reform may be difficult, but it is not impossible when intentions are united, and efforts are sincere,” al-Zaidi said in his first official address after assuming office last month.

The Commission of Integrity stated that investigations into the Kirkuk case are continuing and that legal procedures against the suspects are underway.