French newspaper: fuel smuggling to Syria increases chaos in Lebanon
A report by the French newspaper “Le Figaro” sheds light on the smuggling of oil derivatives from Lebanon to the areas under the control of the Assad regime.
The newspaper said in its report, titled “Smuggling of Gasoline Increases Chaos in Lebanon,” that smuggling operations arecarried out by trucks transporting oilproducts to areas under the control of theAssad regime and returning loaded with Captagon.
The newspaper added: “The Hezbollah militia is working to smuggle fuel on a daily basis to Syria, through trucks equipped with places to hide the fuel tanks at the bottom.”
The newspaper pointed out that everyone in Lebanon is aware of smuggling operations and the ways through which they are carried out, including the army.
The newspaper considered that the main
problem lies in the mechanisms for supporting basic products (wheat, gasoline, petroleum products, and medicines) set by the Central Bank of Lebanon. Subsidized products in Syria return with greater profits.”
The newspaper pointed out that the support mechanism that was determined in the absence of the government and with the approval of the ruling parties in Lebanon, works for the benefit of groups that control the markets and benefit from the interests of the remaining currencies in the central bank, pointing out that the differences in exchange rates in the black markets affect not only Syria but also Lebanon.
She pointed out that the ruling parties in Lebanon are in control and extend their control over the population, noting, “Many of the stations that sell fuel are openly affiliated with the parties, including those linked to Bashar al-Assad.”
The newspaper concluded by saying that the adoption of the Caesar Act at the end of 2019 in the United States made some companies avoid the risk of importing Syrian goods to avoid the sanctions that might be imposed on them, but “the needs of the population still exist, for example, they are ready to pay high prices for fuel.”
This creates enormous pressure on the Lebanese market.”
