INSC detains officers accused of smuggling millions of liters of oil

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi National Security Council (INSC) has detained members smuggling 75  million liters of fuel monthly in Basra.

The Agency stated that high-ranking officials are involved in the operations, including the energy police chief, energy police commanders of northern and middle Iraq, the administrative director, and the commander of the north's security checkpoints.

Concerning the ways of smuggling, the Agency explained, "these networks make holes in the crude oil export lines of the Zubair oil field, one of the largest in the world, and then connect these holes with underground pipes to reach a dirt road where they smuggle about 75 million liters per month.

5-7 tanks with a capacity of 50 thousand liters are used to "steal" oil every day, the National Security added.

Iraq has been taking active steps to counter massive oil smuggling operations. Former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hakim al-Zamili said smuggled out of Iraq amounts to "half of the country's total oil exports."

In 2022, According to the INSC's data, the Iraqi government seized more than one million liters of smuggled oil and 49 fuel tankers used for smuggling.

During the same period, 117 smugglers were arrested in raids on their hideouts, during which containers used for storing fuel were confiscated.