The Iraqi National Security Agency has announced that the committee investigating the oil theft in Basra uncovered the largest crude oil smuggling network.
The new announcement may be linked to the arrest of nine senior officers in early November, including top officials of the protection police involved in oil and its derivatives smuggling, in quantities estimated at 75 million liters per month.
The National Security Agency reported that the smuggling process was done over three stages, through the officers and the coordinator, who are tasked with protecting the smugglers when withdrawing crude oil and securing the movement of the vessels.
The delegate issued circulars facilitating the transportation of the tanks, while the smugglers were supposed to deliver the money after the sale to the representative, who handed it over to the involved officers. The money is collected daily and is estimated at $320,000.
The security apparatus explained that the crude oil was smuggled from a pipeline five kilometers from the international highway. The operations were only done overnight, during which 20-30 tanks were smuggled daily.
The theft process continued by tapping the pipeline for an entire month, then the same force involved in smuggling reported the violation and closed it. After that, they made a new tapping in a new place.
The force in charge of protecting the pipeline also ensures the security of the people involved in the theft.
The National Security revealed that investigations are still underway with the 49 defendants, including officers, associates, merchants, and smugglers. It appealed to citizens to report theft cases they suspect in their areas.
Observers argue that smuggling networks include influential political parties and figures who usually manage the operations from behind the scenes by hiring and transferring senior officers to designated areas.
Reports indicate that oil theft operations have been ongoing for years in most Iraqi provinces, such as Kirkuk, Diyala, and Nineveh. Smuggling operations are not limited to Basra, Maysan, and others.