Reuters: Secret flights to smuggle Assad's wealth before the fall.
As the rebels closed in on Damascus, Bashar al-Assad _who ruled Syria with an iron fist for 24 years_ resorted to a private plane to smuggle cash, precious jewelry, and secret documents revealing the network of companies that formed the basis of his wealth.
In coordination with Yassir Ibrahim, Assad's top economic advisor, four flights were arranged to transfer Assad's assets, his family, and close associates from Damascus to the United Arab Emirates, according to a Reuters investigation based on more than 12 sources.
Ibrahim _who oversaw the presidential financial office_ is the key figure behind establishing the network of economic entities through which Assad controlled wide sectors of the Syrian economy, according to U.S. sanctions, experts, and a source within the regime's business circle.
Western countries imposed sanctions on Assad for suppressing anti-government protests in 2011, and on Ibrahim for his role in supporting the regime.
Consecutive Flights Before the Fall
Within 48 hours before the regime's collapse, a plane of the type "Embraer Legacy 600" (bearing the tail number C5-SKY) flew four times to and from Syria, according to flight tracking records. The plane is registered in Gambia, and the fourth flight departed from the Russian base "Hmeimim" near Latakia on December 8, while Assad fled to Russia on the same day.
A Reuters investigation _the first of its kind on Assad's asset smuggling_ details the operation based on testimonies from 14 sources, including airport employees, former intelligence officers, as well as WhatsApp conversations, flight data, and satellite images.
The plane carried black bags containing $500,000 in cash, hard drives with confidential information about Assad's business network known as "The Group," which extended into sectors like telecommunications, banks, and real estate, according to a source within the network and a former intelligence officer.
Official Silence and Pledge to Recover Funds
Assad and Ibrahim declined to comment, and both the Russian and Emirati foreign ministries did not respond to Reuters' inquiries.
On the other hand, an official in the new government of President Ahmed al-Shara confirmed their intention to recover the smuggled funds to support the ailing economy, without disclosing specific details.
Informed sources indicated that the operation would not have been carried out without Assad's approval, especially with the involvement of the Republican Guard, which receives direct orders from the president or his cousin's son, Talal Makhlouf.
Details of the Last Flight
On December 8, as the rebels advanced towards Damascus, the plane disappeared from tracking devices for six hours before reappearing in the skies of Homs, and satellite images revealed its landing at Hmeimim base, where Ahmed Khalil _a close associate of Ibrahim_ boarded carrying half a million dollars withdrawn from a bank account for the partially owned "Al Burj Investments" company.
The Lebanese Plane
The plane is owned by the Lebanese businessman Mohammed Wabie, according to internal sources. The Wabie family _which owns an airline registered in Dubai and Gambia_ denied any connection to the flights, despite the appearance
