Hidden in black oil: Details of foiled smuggling attempt of weapons and missiles from Iraq to Syria
Hidden in black oil: Details of foiled smuggling attempt of weapons and missiles from Iraq to Syria
2026-07-16
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A senior Iraqi security source revealed on Thursday details of an operation to smuggle weapons and ammunition across the border into Syrian territory, after Damascus announced the seizure of the shipment and confirmed that its final destination was for the benefit of the Lebanese Hezbollah.
Information obtained by Shafaq News Agency indicates that a tanker left Iraqi territory by land about (9) days ago towards Syrian territory, after its official papers were presented as a shipment of “black oil”. The tanker’s mouth was closed and completely sealed by customs, with an indication that it was prohibited to open it before reaching the final destination under the pretext of avoiding the rejection of the shipment by the intended country.
According to the information, the tanker crossed the border crossings, specifically through the Al-Tanf crossing, taking advantage of the lack of specialized sonar devices to detect weapons or prohibited materials inside liquid tanks at the crossing, as well as the inability to detect them by police dogs (K9) due to the weapons being wrapped in insulating bags and covered with thick black oil to make it difficult to detect them.
According to reports, the tanker managed to cross the Iraqi side, but upon reaching the Syrian side and being inspected, it was found to be loaded with large quantities of weapons, missiles, and drones hidden in a professional manner for the purpose of camouflage and bypassing surveillance.
The security source told our agency that this operation represents a “serious security breach” that requires an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and strengthen inspection and control procedures at border crossings, given the threat this poses to the country’s security and the reputation of its ports.
The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs had confirmed earlier on Thursday that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of drones and missiles through the Al-Tanf border crossing, which were tightly hidden inside one of the oil tankers heading to the city of Banias.
For its part, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced through the official news agency (SANA) that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle this shipment of sophisticated weapons and missiles across the border, noting that initial investigations showed that the seized shipment was intended to be smuggled across Syrian territory for the benefit of the Lebanese Hezbollah.
shafaq.com
