Iraqi parliamentarian says part of money from smuggling goes to ‘terrorist groups’

Hammam al-Tamimi, a member of the parliamentary energy committee in the Iraqi parliament, said: “Some of the money from the smuggling goes to what he called ‘terrorist groups.’ statements that revealed the involvement of a number of officers in oil smuggling crimes in a number of provinces of the country. Al-Tamimi said, according to what was reported on the website of the Iraqi channel Al-Sumaria News, “The fight against smuggling is a matter of national security,” stressing the need for “a concerted effort between security services of all kinds.” to stop smuggling. “Terrorist groups” without further explanation. Last December, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani uncovered a “network of security personnel who protected and facilitated the passage of tanks meant to smuggle petroleum products”, confirming the arrest of 18 members of the network. In recent years, there has been increasing talk of oil theft and smuggling in most Iraqi provinces that have oil wells, such as Maysan, Kirkuk, Diyala, Nineveh and Basra, but no concrete steps were taken to stop it before Sudan declared war. for smugglers.