Energy police raid illegal petroleum recycling and smuggling site in Basra

BASRA — Iraq’s Energy Police announced Wednesday that security forces had raided a hidden site used for recycling and smuggling petroleum products in Abu al-Khasib district in Basra, arresting one suspect and seizing a modified tanker loaded with petroleum products.

The operation was carried out based on intelligence from the Energy Police Intelligence Division and conducted after obtaining judicial approval.

Oil smuggling remains a significant problem in Iraq, causing financial losses and environmental damage. In April 2025, one person was killed near the Rumaila oil field when police engaged a group attempting to steal from oil pipelines. A Karbala court sentenced two people to 15 years in prison in December 2024 for puncturing a pipeline and diverting crude to the black market. In February 2024, the National Security Agency dismantled smuggling operations across five governorates, arresting 68 suspects and seizing 110 tankers and more than 3.6 million liters of fuel. Iraq’s Energy Police began using drones to monitor oil infrastructure in October 2025 as part of broader anti-smuggling efforts.