Iraq Completes An Electronic Project To Monitor The Movement Of Petroleum Derivatives, Reducing Smuggling By 98%.

 
May 20, 2025  Baghdad/Iraq Observer follow-up   The Oil Products Distribution Company, affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, has completed a strategic project to electronically monitor tanker movements using a GPRS-based tracking system, as part of a plan to automate the distribution sector and reduce smuggling.
 
The company's media director, Rafid Sadiq, told the Iraq Observer news agency, "The system allows tankers to be tracked from the moment they load fuel until it is unloaded, and provides precise electronic records that can be accessed at any time."  

He noted that  the project has been fully completed, with more than 28,000 government and private tankers now connected to the system.
 
He emphasized that this step represents a qualitative shift in the monitoring and distribution of petroleum products.
 
For his part, the Director General of the Energy Police Directorate, Major General Dhafer Al-Hussaini, explained that
 
"the police, in cooperation with the Ministry of Oil, have begun implementing the new system by installing tracking devices on tankers and linking them to a central operations room."  He explained that
 
the system enables relevant authorities to
 
     determine the tanker's route, the
     validity of documents, and the
     loading and unloading location,
 
which has helped expedite audit procedures and prevent forgery.   Al-Husseini confirmed that
 
80% of the country's tankers have been fitted with the devices,
10% have completed their procedures and are awaiting their turn, while the
remaining percentage is still in the process of being completed. He emphasized that
 
"no tanker will be allowed to load fuel without the tracking device."  He pointed out that
 
this system has contributed to a 98% reduction in petroleum product smuggling,
and no breaches were recorded in oil pipelines during April.
 
In a related development, Al-Husseini announced that the
 
Energy Police seized 103 vehicles in April,
closed five garages and smuggling sites, and
arrested 103 suspects who were referred to judicial authorities.
 
The total amount of fuel seized and returned to the state amounted to 3 million liters,
with protection provided to seven oil experts.    
https://observeriraq.net/العراق-ينجز-مشروعًا-إلكترونيًا-لمراق/