Thief returns money after nearly 30 years with apology letter in Iraq
The family was startled when a masked man approached their home and handed a bag
Dubai: A thief in Sulaymaniyah, a city in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, has returned money stolen nearly 30 years ago, accompanied by a letter of apology.
The identity of the individual remains a mystery, as he chose to keep it hidden during the restitution.
On Saturday evening, the family was startled when a masked man approached their home, handed a bag to a woman who answered the door, and then quickly left the scene.
Hirsch Karim, a member of the household, reported that they discovered 400,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $300) inside the bag, sealed within an envelope alongside a letter written in Kurdish.
According to Karim, the letter detailed the theft of 400 Iraqi Swiss dinars — an old currency once circulated in the Kurdistan region — taken from his father’s home in the Rizgari neighborhood south of Sulaymaniyah between 1990 and 1998.
The writer expressed deep remorse, stating, “I looked for you after you moved. I stole 400 Swiss dinars from your house in the district of Samoud, so I returned this 400,000 dinars to you, I hope you will forgive me. I did not have any dinars in my pocket at the time and I desperately needed it.”
The return of the stolen funds and the heartfelt apology have touched many on social media, where images of the letter have circulated widely. Commenters have expressed sympathy and admiration for the thief’s late but significant gesture of restitution.