On Friday, the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) announced the arrest of a network of 10 suspects involved in a series of oil pipeline breaches in Basra Governorate.
According to a statement released by INSS and reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the operation led to the apprehension of a network that included an expert in pipeline breaches and the individual responsible for coordinating such illegal activities across five governorates.
The statement also revealed that the network comprised officers and personnel involved in the smuggling of crude oil. During the operation, INSS units discovered two sites where crude oil pipelines had been breached, located in the Al-Zubair and Juayda areas.
The suspects were caught in the act, alongside tankers that were prepared for smuggling.
INSS confirmed that the suspects have been detained under Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, in accordance with Article 6, First of the Oil Derivatives Smuggling Law.
The arrests mark a significant crackdown on illegal oil smuggling operations in the region.
