Security forces in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province have seized 163 vehicles transporting smuggled goods without paying customs duties over the past 45 days, according to Kirkuk Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Maad Baday.

Speaking to Shafaq News on Saturday, Baday said the vehicles were intercepted on unofficial smuggling routes before being handed over to the relevant authorities. He described the operation as part of Kirkuk's broader campaign to combat smuggling and corruption.

Baday also addressed a video presented by MP Othman Al-Shaibani during a recent parliamentary session, clarifying that the footage related to corruption cases that occurred before he assumed command. He said the suspects—officers from the Kirkuk Police Command—had admitted to exploiting their positions to facilitate smuggling through the Darman and Jiman checkpoints north of Kirkuk. The checkpoints are jointly overseen by the Border Crossings Authority, the National Security Service, and other security agencies.

The latest seizures come as Iraq intensifies its nationwide anti-corruption campaign, Dawn Crackdown (Sawlat Al-Fajr), launched on June 28. The campaign has already targeted more than 70 current and former officials, lawmakers, and business figures in an effort to curb corruption across state institutions.

Authorities have announced that the next phase of the operation will focus on corruption cases involving the health, oil, and electricity ministries, while expanding investigations to trace assets both inside and outside Iraq.

According to a Shafaq News review, Iraqi authorities also arrested at least 35 public officials and government employees in six separate corruption cases between July 12 and July 19, underscoring the government's widening anti-graft drive.