Iraqi National Security Service says it foiled Basra oil smuggling operation

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Service announced Tuesday that it had foiled an organized crude oil smuggling operation in Basra governorate following an intelligence operation and judicial authorization.

According to a statement issued by the agency, security forces uncovered an illegal oil connection along the highway linking Basra and Dhi Qar governorates.

The statement said authorities discovered a 500-meter underground pressure pipeline connected to the main crude oil transport pipeline in an attempt to steal and smuggle oil.

Security forces also seized two tanker trucks at the site, the statement said. One tanker was loaded with crude oil and was intercepted while attempting to flee, while the second was empty and prepared to receive smuggled quantities of oil.

The agency said all seized materials were handed over  to the relevant authorities for legal procedures.

Oil smuggling remains a significant problem in Iraq, causing financial losses and environmental damage. Earlier this month, Iraq’s Energy Police announced 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.

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 security forces 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.