Iraq arrests head of arms smuggling network to Syria
Iraqi security services announced the arrest of Ahmed Zeidan Khalaf al-Jabri, the third and most prominent suspect in a network for smuggling weapons and missiles from Iraq to Syria, who authorities described as "the mastermind and direct responsible for managing cross-border transfers."
An Iraqi security source told the Iraqi news agency Shafaq News that the arrest of al-Jabri came as part of an intensive intelligence campaign carried out by the Anbar Police Command in coordination with the Directorate of Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism.
The source said that preliminary investigations revealed that al-Jabri had taken over the full planning of the route of the shipments, which were being transported from Baghdad through Syrian territory with the aim of delivering them to "armed groups" in Lebanon, without naming these groups.
The source pointed out that "the information available to the investigating authorities indicates that the shipment of weapons was loaded from a camp in Baghdad, and that the investigations also deal with information about the disruption or suspension of surveillance systems in some of the departure areas of the three trucks that were transporting the cargo, in order to facilitate their movement," in an indication of the complicity of local parties with the network, according to the source.
Successive Downfall of Network Members
"One of these trucks was seized inside Syrian territory, and it was driven by Saleh Mohammed Saleh al-Marawi, while security and legal measures are continuing against the rest of the defendants and those involved in the case," he said.
Iraqi security sources revealed that the names of some of the detainees were previously linked to major arms and drug smuggling operations between Iraq and Syria in the past years, and that the Supreme Committee formed by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is continuing its investigations to find out whether the network is cross-border or operates under a broader cover.
Al-Jabri's arrest comes after a succession of members of the network, starting with the tanker driver who was arrested by the Syrian authorities at the al-Tanf port after seizing secret hideouts inside his truck containing missiles, drones and anti-armor, to the arrest of two other suspects in Anbar during a qualitative operation based on the driver's confessions.
Syrian Interior Ministry announces foiling arms smuggling from Iraq
The Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday (July 16th) that an attempt to smuggle a shipment of "quality" weapons and missiles across the Syrian-Iraqi border was foiled, noting that preliminary investigations indicate that the shipment was intended to cross through Syrian territory to Lebanese Hezbollah.
"The operation came after the detection of a vehicle parked within the border area in suspicious circumstances, as it was subjected to inspection, which resulted in the seizure of a shipment of weapons that included long-range missiles, anti-armor guided missiles and drones," said a statement published by the ministry on its official IDs.
According to the ministry's statement, preliminary investigations proved that the shipment was intended to cross through Syrian territory towards Lebanon for the benefit of Hizbullah, stressing that investigations are "ongoing to uncover all the circumstances of the case and identify all those involved in it and the networks associated with it."
The operation comes as Syrian authorities are tightening security measures at crossings and border areas with Iraq and Lebanon, as part of a campaign they say aims to curb arms and drug smuggling and border control.
Since the political change in Syria (the fall of the Assad regime) in December 2024, the new Syrian authorities have announced a series of security operations against arms and drug smuggling networks, and have repeatedly stressed that they are working to prevent Syrian territory from being used as a corridor for arms smuggling operations or for the activity of armed groups.
Ammunition smuggling thwarted in Jadida Yabous
Customs detachments at the Jdeideh Yabous border crossing with Lebanon foiled a qualitative attempt to smuggle war ammunition towards Lebanese territory, after suspecting an old classic Mercedes tourist car that was preparing to leave for the Lebanese side.
"During a thorough search involving the K-9 police dog unit, customs officers discovered the presence of engineered secret cavities and caches inside the body of a car, and found 226 RGC bombs intended for firing through 40 mm rifles," the General Authority for Ports and Customs said in a statement on Tuesday (July 21st).
The Authority broadcast a clip documenting the moment of the arrest, where the driver was arrested and his identification papers were confiscated, before the car and ammunition were transferred to the competent military and security authorities to complete investigations and find out the source of the shipment and the recipient in Lebanon.