Iraqi investigators on Thursday continued their relentless sweep of properties tied to the country’s former deputy oil minister, uncovering another cache of wealth—including four kilograms of gold jewelry and $200,000 in cash—as the historic corruption investigation into Adnan al-Jumaili deepens.
The latest raid comes on the heels of a blockbuster announcement by judicial officials earlier in the week, when they revealed the recovery of 375 kilograms of gold alongside a network of commercial real estate, industrial factories, and cargo fleets valued at an estimated $47 million.
The multi-million-dollar enforcement action marks a dramatic escalation in the prosecution of the former Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, who remains in custody on charges of systemic corruption and money laundering.
According to Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Monday’s massive asset recovery was a highly coordinated effort. An investigating judge from the Central Criminal Court for Combating Corruption worked alongside authorities in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region to track down and secure 358 kilograms of gold. An additional 17 kilograms were seized in a parallel raid, bringing the single-day total to 375 kilograms—worth tens of millions of dollars on the open market.
The gold bars have since been transferred to the vaults of the Central Bank of Iraq’s Issuance and Treasury Department as state investigators continue tracing the paper trail of what they believe are illicitly acquired funds.
Meanwhile, in the northern city of Mosul, the Nineveh Investigation Court for Integrity Cases targeted the network's physical empire. Authorities seized nine commercial properties valued at roughly 45 billion dinars ($30.8 million), three industrial flour mills valued at 24 billion dinars ($16.4 million) and seven modern cargo trucks, each estimated to be worth $200,000.
Court officials revealed that the fugitive suspects had registered these high-value businesses and logistics fleets under the names of low-level employees to mask their true ownership. Because the mills and properties are active, generating revenue, and employing local workers, the court has appointed judicial custodians to oversee daily operations and secure all profits for the state treasury until the trial concludes.
The high-profile crackdown coincides with a critical diplomatic push by Iraq’s leadership. The country’s new prime minister is currently in Washington, where U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly praised Iraq's aggressive anti-corruption campaign.
For a government long dogged by international skepticism over systemic bribery and capital flight, the highly publicized seizures of gold and real estate serve as a tangible proof-of-concept for Western allies.
"The parliament is prepared to support any legal procedures required to clean up these ministries," Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary Legal Committee, told OCCRP. He added that the investigation remains highly active and that "further arrests and investigative measures against suspects and others involved in this network are likely to follow."
Despite the sweeping asset seizures, no final judicial ruling has been issued against al-Jumaili, who continues to be held in pre-trial detention as prosecutors build their final case.
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