Iraq busts pipeline oil theft ring in al-Muthanna

Shafaq News- al-Muthanna

Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) said on Friday it had broken up a network that was siphoning crude oil from a major pipeline in the southern province of al-Muthanna, arresting four suspects.

The gang tapped the pipeline in two places and ran about 270 meters of hidden pipe underground to a nearby farm that served as its base, according to the INSS statement. It then moved the stolen crude in cement trucks converted to carry oil to avoid detection.

The operation earned the network about 500 million Iraqi dinars (about $380,000) a month, according to initial investigations. A technical inspection of corrosion at the tap sites showed the pipeline had been breached for a long time.

The pipeline runs from southern Iraq to Haditha in the western province of al-Anbar and feeds the network that carries oil to the north of the country.

Last August, INSS also arrested several suspects in Al-Muthanna province as part of a network involved in smuggling petroleum products. The operation also uncovered materials and equipment linked to the suspected smuggling activity.