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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces have arrested four suspected oil smugglers in Diyala and Nineveh provinces and seized nearly 50,000 liters of smuggled oil during a series of operations aimed at combating fuel smuggling, an Iraqi security official said Saturday.
Arshad Hakim, spokesperson for the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS), told Rudaw’s Gasha Khalid that “as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard economic security and combat fuel smuggling, our teams carried out several successful operations on Friday night, based on precise intelligence and field surveillance.”
Three suspected smugglers were arrested in Diyala province, where security forces also seized several tanker trucks carrying large quantities of oil, petroleum products and other materials, according to Hakim.
Investigations revealed that some of the shipments had been prepared for smuggling, while serious irregularities were uncovered in transportation documents and monitoring systems, he added.
“In Nineveh province, our forces also managed to arrest a suspect who was wanted by the judiciary under the law combating the smuggling of oil and petroleum products,” the INSS spokesperson said.
Nearly 50,000 liters of smuggled oil were confiscated during the operations.
“All legal measures have been taken against the violators, and the Iraqi National Security Service will continue pursuing those who harm the country's national wealth and economy,” Hakim said.
Oil and petroleum product smuggling has long posed a challenge for Iraqi authorities, depriving the state of revenues and undermining efforts to regulate the country's energy sector. Iraqi security forces have repeatedly carried out operations targeting illegal fuel transportation and distribution networks.
