How do Assad officials smuggle their money?

(Eqtsad)- There are many currency exchange companies in neighboring countries and western countries which transfer money to Syria. The transfer is carried out through individuals and irregular companies that smuggle money from Syria abroad, and are placed in fake accounts or handed over to persons with special ties.

Any person outside Syria can go to a money transfer company, or deal with a specialist, and transfer what he wants to inside Syria safely for a certain fee according to the amount transferred, without the recipient of funds in Syria being harassed on condition it is confidential.

There is no interest for the sender or recipient of the money to speak in order to ensure the safety of receiver in Syria, so the sender, receiver and transferring person from abroad and the company or the person who pays him at home, to ensure confidentiality and ensure arrival of money sum to its receiver to fulfil the interest of everyone involved in the process.

Eqtsad following a study found out how the money transfer is done and who are the sponsors, and how is it done without knowledge of regime intelligence, and the prosecution of the recipient inside Syria.

Two ways of transfer according to amount and persons.

Simple amounts: They are transferred by individuals who have simple financial relations at home as payment of debts, or send financial aid to their families to face the difficulties of life at home, and these amounts are usually less than 200000 SP.

Abu Mohammed al-Halabi sends $ 100 to his brothers in Syria, as explained to Eqtsad, " He gives the money to a person in Gaziantep p and remains with him until his brothers receives the money Aleppo.”t There is no specific place to pay the amount and can be done in a public place.

"There are unlicensed offices that do the same work and you can keep the amount you want to send until the addressee receives it," Abu Mohammed said.

Large amounts: It is special for business connections, and the relationship is with companies and dealers inside and members of the authority of the owners of funds.

The director of a company operating in this field in the city of Gaziantep, Turkey, who asked not to be named or the name of his company, in a statement to Eqtsad, revealed the work of his company and the rest of the companies and even individuals, saying, "frankly we do not transfer any funds to the Syrian interior, but we receive money abroad which is less than 200000 SP, according to the exchange rate in the liberated areas, and tell one of our clients who wants to transfer money abroad, and we have a large list of dealers, and they tell us what they have the funds they want to convert to dollars and place it in the Turkish banks, in preparation for their escape from Syria.

They give the money to receivers in Syrian pounds from their possession in full confidentiality, and in turn we act in amounts according to their desire, whether handed over to a person or transferred to their own account at the bank.”

Such persons are often thieves of public funds, security and national defense personnel, officials and officials, who have illegally collected their wealth, according to the source.

The second type: owners of companies, traders and officials of large capital, and those dealing with large companies or have private companies for the transfer of funds like Hamsho and al-Wahib. They use the companies as cover to smuggle money from inside of Syriaa abroad, and deal with companies abroad that do money laundering via fake deals, and those who enjoy the political cover by the Republican Palace and the security men, and those who share them with a percentage of the transferred funds placed in their assets abroad as well.

Despite the illegality of money transfer, the companies and individuals working in them have credibility. The interests that bind them together make them commit to transferring money to the transferred parties, especially to individuals, and maintain privacy and safety. They need to continue work and flow of their money abroad and their presence in the position of weakness at home for fear of revealing what they are doing. The transfer of large funds is governed by commercial relations that make all parties obliged to comply. (Reporting by Tareq Haj Bakri)