SDF arrests Al Arabiya correspondent after exposing security corruption in its areas.
The intelligence of the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) arrested the journalist Jumaa Akkash, correspondent for "Al Arabiya" channel, on the evening of Tuesday, 22nd of April in the city of Qamishli, following his Facebook post revealing corruption issues and the arrest of security officials on charges of drug trafficking.
Details of the controversial post
Akkash wrote in his post: "A belated victory for the drug victims in Raqqa, prominent leaders in the anti-drug department of the self-administration in prisons on charges of corruption, theft, and drug trafficking," mentioning arrests of security officials. He added: "Next is the extortion gang in the public security in a city located on the Iraqi-Turkish border," referring to the city of Malikiyah (Derik).
Arrest circumstances and unknown fate
According to "Syria TV" website, citing a source close to the journalist's family, Akkash was arrested by the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) as he was leaving a restaurant in central Qamishli, without formal charges or referral to the judiciary, and his fate remains unknown until now.
The source mentioned that the family received unofficial information linking the arrest to his recent post, choosing to wait instead of announcing the incident, hoping for successful mediation for his release before the news leaks to the media and social media platforms.
Background of the arrest: Investigations into security and drug corruption
In a related context, a security source in the SDF confirmed to "Syria TV" the arrest of several senior officials in the General Directorate of Drug Control in Raqqa and Hasakah, on charges related to reselling confiscated drugs and embezzling funds from the security budget.
The source revealed that the arrested network was making profits in hundreds of thousands of dollars by facilitating drug smuggling and cooperating with traders linked to the previous regime. He added that the SDF avoids announcing these arrests for fear of accusations of involvement in drug trafficking, especially the substance "Captagon," in its controlled areas.
Previous official warnings against the journalist
It is worth mentioning that Akkash received an official warning from the "Media Department" affiliated with the "Self-Administration" late last year, due to what they described as "inaccurate" journalistic reports, including his coverage of defections in the Kurdish delegation negotiating with Damascus, and a previous report on the spread of drugs in Raqqa, which the authorities deemed "provocative." They warned him at the time of "stricter measures" in case of repeating what they called "journalistic transgressions."
Activists and local media are following the developments, while the circumstances of Akkash's arrest and the details of the investigation with him remain mysterious.
