Iraq Dismisses 9 Officials in Oil Smuggling Case
Press coverage 2 newspapers covered this event: Al-Jarida · Al-Nahar →The Iraqi Prime Minister dismisses nine security and administrative officials in the Jurf al-Sakhr oil smuggling case.
Translated by Alqyas from Al-Nahar — Original source
Baghdad – Agencies: In a move with security and political implications, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zoubaidi has dismissed nine security and administrative officials and referred those implicated in oil smuggling operations in the Jarf al-Sakhr area of Babylon province to the judiciary, following the conclusion of a government investigation committee’s review of information related to the case.
Spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, stated that al-Zoubaidi chaired an emergency security meeting to review the investigation’s findings before issuing directives to refer all suspects implicated in smuggling operations to the judiciary and to relieve several officials from their posts.
The dismissal orders covered nine officials, including the Babylon police chief, the northern Babylon police director, and officials from intelligence, national security, and counter-terrorism agencies, as well as the commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces operations in the province, the commander of the Sixth Energy Police Brigade, and the director of the oil pipelines company affiliated with the Ministry of Oil.
The investigations focused on allegations of oil smuggling in the Jarf al-Sakhr area, a region with significant security influence held by Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most prominent armed factions linked to Iran. Information released by Iraqi authorities indicates that the government committee reached findings that reinforced earlier intelligence reports regarding smuggling and manipulation activities in the region’s oil sector, while also uncovering facilities and sites suspected of being used for purposes related to these activities.
