Gas and Oil Smuggling Market Value: $6.2 Billion
$5 Billion worth of gas and oil is smuggled out of Iraq every year, with an additional $1.2 Billion smuggled out of other areas of the world.
Source: $5 billion losses for Iraq to Gas Smuggling: Sam Dagher, ‘Basra strike against Shiite militias also about oil,” Christian Science Monitor, April 9, 2008.
Additional $1.2 Billion from [...]
Gas smuggling increasing in Thailand with rise in oil price
As the price of oil around the world continues to rise, gas smuggling in Thailand has been increasing as well.
From the Bangkok Post:
An increase in oil prices has intensified petrol smuggling from Malaysia into four districts of the southern province of Songkhla.
Oil business operators have stocked up on the illegally imported petrol in the hope [...]
100,000 liters of fuel smuggled into Thailand every day from Malaysia
Source: Wichayant Boonchote, “Smuggling of fuel from Malaysia on the increase,” Bangkok Post, May 1, 2008.
Smuggling organization in Iraq makes about $5 million from smuggling oil
According to a report in The Guardian, a smuggling organization in Iraq is estimated to make about $5 million a week from smuggling oil.
Source: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, “Oiling the wheels of war: Smuggling becomes the real economy of Iraq,” Guardian, June 9, 2007.
40 to 50 percent of profits ends up with insurgents in Iraq
40 to 50 percent of the profits from fuel smuggling is believed to end up in the hands of insurgents.
Source: Robert F. Worth and James Glanz, ” Oil Graft Fuels the Insurgency, Iraq and U.S. Say,” New York Times, February 5, 2006.
100,000 barrels of oil sold everyday by smugglers in Nigeria
Source: AFP, ” Nigeria military seize 12 oil trucks used for smuggling crude oil,” Google News, October 1, 2007.
$4 billion worth of gas smuggled out of Iraq in 2005
Source: Associated Press, ” U.S. Troops Crack Down on Fuel Smuggling.” Yahoo! News, May 9, 2006.
Oil Smuggling in Iraq
From the Christian Science Monitor:
The recent fight in Basra between Iraqi forces and Shiite militiamen was about more than a government bid to reassert itself in a city where Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army was digging in. It was also about oil – and smuggling.Before the assault [...]
Smuggling gas in Bolivia
The BBC reports on the gas smuggling business in Bolivia.
From the BBC News:
Government subsidies mean Bolivia has a low retail price for oil - about 50 US cents a litre.
Those subsidies have boosted the smuggling business, as the price of diesel oil in border countries such as Brazil and Peru, are up [...]
One-Third of fuel in Iraq diverted to Black Market
The New York Times reported over the weekend that at least one-third of fuel from Iraq’s largest refinery is being diverted to the black market. The proceeds from the sale are being used to support in insurgency against American troops.
From the New York Times:
The sea of oil under Iraq is supposed to rebuild the nation, [...]
