Fuel crisis in northern Iraq revives market in smuggling gasoline

The on-going fuel crisis in Iraq, which resulted after the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) closed the roads leading to the Baiji refinery, has led to the revival of trafficking gasoline to northern Iraq by Iranian and Kurdish smugglers, according to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.

The news agency reported that the Bayara region in the province of Sulaymaniyah has turned into a centre for smuggling gasoline, as the smugglers do not find any difficulties, thanks to the lack of wires or walls on the Iraqi-Iranian border.

About 200 smugglers are thought to cross the borders three times every night, where they smuggle gasoline on mules, each carrying 144 litres.

Merchant Ghalib Salim said, “Our trade is reviving because of the fuel crisis,” adding that “they are getting 40 to 60 thousand litres of gasoline every night, as merchants receive the gasoline from smugglers in tanks which they then transfer to other regions, with the knowledge of both Iran and the regional authorities in northern Iraq.”

Nogcha Nasib, the director of Bayara, said that, “smuggling operations have been going on for many years on the Iranian border,” noting that smuggling is the main source of livelihood for people in the region and smuggling oil has become very profitable since the beginning of the fuel crisis that northern Iraq is witnessing. He also explained that the smuggling of alcoholic beverages and electrical appliances had been the most common among smugglers in the past, but that the smuggling of gasoline is now more profitable.