Senior Intelligence officer facilitates smuggling oil from ISIS-held areas

(Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

A confidential document by Syrian regime accused a colonel in the powerful Air-force Intelligence of facilitating the transfer and smuggling of many trucks carrying expired products from Iraq to Syria besides oil produced by the Islamic State (ISIS). 

The document issued 10 months ago by Syrian Intelligence confirmed that Colonel Mohammed Dib who works in the Air-Forces intelligence in Ethriyeh area had cooperated with traders to smuggle materials and products like expired cigarette and other food products from Iraq to Syria. 

Moreover, the document mentioned that Colonel Dib used to allow more than 50 vans and trucks to enter Syria without inspection at daily bases, which raised awareness and concerns to the possibility of smuggling car-bombs. 

The worrying point mentioned in the intelligence document was that Dib had facilitated the transfer for big trucks full of oil and fuel produced by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Eastern region of Syria and secured their route to reach to Lattakia and Homs. 

Another document issued a year ago mentioned that Colonel Mohammed Dib had ignored all the warning messages sent by the National defence forces’ members in the area, where they observed a convoy of the Islamic State consisted of 2 tanks, 6 vans with cannons and 4 four-wheel cars, they came from the Eastern region passed near Ethriyeh area and headed to west to Aleppo’s main road to reach to Okairabat village to Eastern Countryside of Salamiyeh. 

The document mentioned that Colonel Dib’s ignorance and neglect, besides denying his responsibility to stop the convoy after warning as well as hesitation in giving orders to hit the convoy with airplanes caused huge worrying among the NDF in the area which incited them to report the incidence. 

Information mentioned in both documents shows that regime's big figures and decision makers many times cooperate with the Islamic State and forget everything about big themes the regime keeps announcing about fighting terrorism and protecting the country when the matter concerns their private benefits.