Intelligence Agency: 70 accused oil derivatives smugglers were arrested

Baghdad-INA
The Intelligence Agency announced on Monday the arrest of 70 accused oil derivatives smugglers in three weeks.
 
The agency stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that “in implementation of the directives of the Minister of the Interior, which include pursuing organized crime gangs specialized in smuggling oil and its derivatives, and under the direct supervision of the Undersecretary of the ministry for Intelligence Affairs, the detachments of the Intelligence Agency specialized in combating organized crime received accurate information about a group of oil derivatives smugglers in more than one governorate, and in light of the information, more than one intelligence and technical work team was formed, accompanied by a special force to pursue and arrest the smugglers in order to limit the damage to the national economy.”
 
According to the statement, "These specific operations initiated by the intelligence agency within three weeks resulted in the arrest of (70) defendants and the seizure of approximately (2 million) liters of petroleum derivatives, in addition to the seizure of (18) oil sites and a group of trucks that were smuggling these derivatives."
 
  "The defendants recorded their statements and confessed to smuggling oil derivatives. The defendants were also referred to the investigative authorities in preparation for their appearance before the judiciary," calling on "citizens to report all outlaws in all parts of Iraq by calling the toll-free hotline 144."