Former President of Syria Bashar al-Assad fled the country on December 8th, thus ending his 24-year rule over the state. It has now been revealed how he transferred his wealth to Russia, where he is currently located.
According to media reports, the operation of extracting the wealth, which included cash, gold, and other valuable items, was led by Yasar Ibrahim, his longtime chief economic advisor.
He secured an Embraer Legacy 600 plane, which was used to transfer the valuables from Damascus to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and from there further to Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Assad political asylum.
This plane, according to available information, flew the Syria-UAE route four times in just 48 hours, allowing Assad to transfer a significant portion of his wealth to his new home.
The last of these flights departed from the Russian Khmeimim base, from which Assad fled to Russia a few hours later, ahead of the rebels who were entering the Syrian capital.
The plane was carrying unmarked black bags with at least 500.000 dollars in cash, as well as documents, laptops, and hard drives with key intelligence data about the “Group,” the code name used by Assad and associates for a complex network of entities encompassing telecommunications, banking, real estate, energy, and other sectors.
Assad’s movements were concealed even from the closest members of his family in the final days of his regime.
On December 6th, while rebels led by the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham were advancing toward the capital, the Embraer plane was approaching Damascus International Airport. More than ten members of the Syrian Military Intelligence Air Force – the main instrument of political repression under Assad – were mobilized to secure the Ceremonial Hall, the VIP section of the airport, and the access road.
Several civilian vehicles with tinted windows approached the area. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, responsible for protecting Assad and the Presidential Palace.
The C5-SKY plane flew each time to Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi, used by dignitaries and known for its strict privacy rules. Each time it landed, vehicles would race to the plane, stay briefly, and leave just before the plane took off again.
The flights from Damascus, in addition to money, transported paintings and small sculptures, the same source said.
On December 7th, the plane returned to Damascus and took off for Al Bateen for the third time a little over an hour later, this time loaded with bags of cash, as well as hard drives and electronic devices containing information about Assad’s corporate network.
The stored information included financial reports, meeting minutes, company ownership, real estate, and partnerships, as well as details about cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts.
This time, vehicles belonging to the UAE embassy in Damascus approached the VIP area of the airport before the plane took off.
In the early morning hours of December 8th, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee to his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. The airport in Damascus ceased operations.
That same day, Assad finally left Syria and went to Moscow, Klix.ba writes.
