By Feras Dalatey, Joanna Plucinska, Reade Levinson, Maha El Dahan
DAMASCUS/LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) -As his opponents surrounded Damascus, Bashar al-Assad, that subjugated Syria with an iron hand for 24 years, made use of an exclusive jet to spirit away money, prized possessions and private records mapping the company internet behind his wide range.
Yasar Ibrahim, the head of state’s leading financial advisor, set up the leasing of the aircraft to transportation Assad’s valued properties, family members, assistants and governmental royal residence workers to the United Arab Emirates aboard 4 trips, according to an account of the procedure assembled by Reuters from greater than a loads resources.
Ibrahim, that ran the financial and monetary workplace of the presidency, contributed in developing a network of entities Assad made use of to regulate swathes of Syria’s economic situation, typically functioning as a front for the previous leader, according to united state assents notifications, along with professionals on Syria’s economic situation and one resource within Assad’s service network.
Western countries enforced assents on Assad following his suppression of 2011 pro-democracy demonstrations and later Ibrahim for aiding the routine.
The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made the 4 back-to-back journeys to Syria in the two days prior to the routine’s loss, according to a Reuters testimonial of trip monitoring documents. The aircraft, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is signed up in Gambia.
The 4th trip left on December 8 from the Russian- run Hmeimim armed forces air base, near Latakia, on Syria’s Mediterranean shore, according to trip monitoring documents, a satellite photo and a previous Air Force Intelligence resource with straight expertise of the procedure. Assad got away to Russia on the exact same day from the exact same base.
The procedure to remove Assad’s properties from Syria has actually not been formerly reported. Reuters talked with 14 Syrian resources with expertise of the plan, consisting of flight terminal personnel, previous knowledge and Presidential Guard policemans and an individual within Assad’s service network.
The information company likewise examined a WhatsApp discussion in between Ibrahim’s affiliates, trip monitoring information, satellite photos, and company and air travel possession signs up on 3 continents to construct its account of exactly how Assad’s closest confidant managed risk-free flow for the aircraft.
The jet lugged unmarked black bags of money holding a minimum of $500,000 along with records, laptop computers and hard disks with crucial knowledge concerning “The Group”, the codename Assad and Ibrahim’s affiliates made use of for the detailed network of entities covering telecommunications, financial, realty, power and various other tasks, according to the private within Assad’s network, a previous Air Force Intelligence policeman and the WhatsApp discussion.
Assad, whose location was concealed from also close relative in the last agitated days of his routine, has actually been given political asylum inRussia Reuters was incapable to reach him or Ibrahim for remark. The international ministries of Russia and the UAE really did not reply to inquiries concerning the procedure.
The federal government of brand-new head of state Ahmed al-Sharaa is figured out to recuperate public funds taken abroad in the added to Assad’s loss, an elderly authorities informed Reuters, to sustain Syria’s economic situation as it work under assents and a money scarcity.
The main verified to Reuters that cash was smuggled abroad prior to the previous leader’s ouster, yet did not clarify exactly how, including that authorities were still identifying where the cash went.
Reuters can not individually figure out whether Assad proactively routed the retreat procedure. Several resources with straight expertise of the objective stated it can not have actually occurred without the leader’s true blessing.
‘ YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THIS AIRCRAFT’
On December 6, as rebels led by the Islamist team Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched in the direction of the resources, the 13-seater Embraer jet came close to Damascus International Airport.
More than a loads personnel in the camouflage attires of Syria’s Air Force Intelligence – a major tool of political suppression under Assad – mobilised to secure the Hall of Ceremonies, the flight terminal’s VIP area, and its gain access to course, according to 6 resources with expertise of the procedure. Four of these resources stated they went to the scene.
A handful of noncombatant cars and trucks with colored home windows came close to the location, 3 of individuals on website stated. The cars and trucks came from the elite Republican Guard, charged to safeguard Assad and the Presidential Palace, stated 2 of individuals on website – the previous knowledge policeman and an elderly flight terminal authorities.
The participation of the Republican Guard indicated that “Bashar (al-Assad) gave the orders” connecting to the procedure, according to a previous elderly Republican Guard participant. The guard addressed just to its leader, Assad’s relative General Talal Makhlouf, or Assad himself, he or she included.
The head of flight terminal safety and security, Brigadier-General Ghadeer Ali, informed flight terminal personnel that Air Force Intelligence workers would certainly take care of the airplane, according to Mohammed Qairout, head of ground procedures with Syrian Air.
“This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it,” Qairout remembered being informed byAli “You have not seen this plane.”
Ali, an elderly Air Force Intelligence policeman, took orders straight from the Presidential Palace, 3 Syrian flight terminal authorities and the previous knowledge policeman stated.
Reuters can not get to Ali for remark.
LAST HOURS
The C5-SKY aircraft flew each time to Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport, made use of by very important people and recognized for its stringent personal privacy, Flight radar24 information reveal.
At initially, the jet left Dubai onDec 6 and landed in Damascus around twelve noon regional time (0900 GMT). It after that flew to Al Bateen flight terminal and was back in Damascus after 10 p.m.
Each time it landed, “cars rushed towards the plane, staying for a short time and then leaving just before the plane took off again,” stated among 5 resources operating at the flight terminal.
Ali informed Air Force Intelligence personnel that Presidential Palace workers and family members of Assad – consisting of teens – was because of board the very first 2 trips that left Damascus on December 6, which likewise lugged money, according to the previous knowledge policeman at the scene.
Reuters can not access a show for the 4 trips to verify the aircraft’s guests or freight.
The 2nd trip from Damascus likewise transferred paints and some little sculptures, stated the exact same resource.
On Dec 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4 p.m. and left for Al Bateen for a 3rd time over an hour later on, this time around packed with bags of money along with hard disks and digital gadgets including details concerning Assad’s company network, according to the knowledge policeman and the resource within Assad’s service network.
The saved details consisted of monetary documents, mins of conferences, possession of firms, realty and collaborations, along with information of money transfers and overseas firms and accounts, this resource stated.
This time, lorries coming from the UAE consular office in Damascus came close to the VIP flight terminal location prior to the jet removed, stated the previous knowledge policeman, which he stated recommended the UAE understood the procedure.
DETOUR TO RUSSIAN BASE
Early on December 8, rebel boxers gotten to Damascus, motivating Assad to run away for his seaside garrison of Latakia, in control with Russian pressures. Damascus flight terminal quit running.
Shortly after twelve o’clock at night that day, the C5-SKY jet left Al Bateen one last time. After overlooking the city of Homs, north of Damascus, at around 3 a.m. regional time, the aircraft left trip monitoring protection for concerning 6 hours prior to re-emerging over Homs, headed back to Abu Dhabi, information from Flight radar24 program.
During that home window, it landed at the Hmeimim base in the Latakia district, according to the previous knowledge policeman.
A satellite photo taken at 9:11 a.m. by Planet Labs recorded the aircraft on the path atHmeimim Reuters had the ability to verify the Embraer jet in the photo was C5-SKY based upon the shapes and size and trip monitoring information. The jet was the only exclusive aircraft flying in and out of Syria in between December 6 and December 8, trip monitoring information reveal.
Aboard the trip from Hmeimim was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a close affiliate of Ibrahim energetic within Assad’s network, according to the Air Force Intelligence policeman, the resource within Assad’s service realm and the WhatsApp discussion. Khalil is under Western assents for sustaining the previous routine by running and managing numerous organizations in Syria.
He had actually gotten to the Russian base in an Emirati consular office armoured automobile and was lugging $500,000 in money, according to the individual inside Assad’s network and the WhatsApp messages.
Khalil had actually taken out the cash 2 days previously from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB), according to the exact same resources.
The individual inside Assad’s circle stated the account comes from Damascus- based Al-Burj Investments The firm is 50% had by Ibrahim, according to The Syria Report, an on-line system which contains a business data source assembled by Syria professionals which mentioned 2018 authorities Syrian documents.
Khalil did not reply to an ask for remark sent out using his Facebook account. SIIB and Al-Burj did not reply to e-mails looking for remark.
The private within Assad’s service circle and a previous authorities at Syria’s Air Transport Authority stated the Embraer jet was running under a ‘completely dry lease’, in which the proprietor offers the airplane, yet no staff, pilot, upkeep, ground procedures or insurance policy.
Reuters could not establish that ran the trips.
Ibrahim gotten to Abu Dhabi onDec 11, he or she included.
Asked concerning the aircraft in a meeting with Reuters, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa decreased to comment.
‘ THE LEBANESE AIRCRAFT’
Ibrahim rented the jet from Lebanese entrepreneur Mohamad Wehbe, according to a participant of Syria’s service elite and the resource within Assad’s network. In the WhatsApp discussion the jet was explained by among Ibrahim’s affiliates as “the Lebanese plane”.
Wehbe possesses Flying Airline FZCO, signed up as a Dubai Free Zone firm, according to his ConnectedIn account.
In April 2024, Mohamad Wehbe published photos of C5-SKY on ConnectedIn with the inscription,”welcome” In January, the entrepreneur composed in a different LinkedIn article that the airplane was available for sale.
The aircraft was signed up in Gambia to a regional firm, Flying Airline Company, from April 2024. Flight monitoring documents reveal that, in the months coming before Assad’s loss, the airplane had actually flown to Assad’s ally Russia, presently under Western air travel assents for its intrusion of Ukraine.
Reuters was incapable to get to the authorized get in touch with for Flying Airline Company in Gambia, Sheikh Tijan Jallow.
Flying Airline Co is 30%- had by an additional Lebanese nationwide, Oussama Wehbe, and 70%- had by Iraqi nationwide Safa Ahmed Saleh, according to Gambian documents.
Social media reveal Mohamad Wehbe has actually a kid called Oussama that likewise operates in the air travel sector. Reuters can not verify if he coincides guy on the Gambian pc registry.
Contacted by Reuters, Mohamad Wehbe rejected any type of participation with the C5-SKY trips in and out of Syria and informed Reuters he does not have the aircraft yet simply leases it “sometimes” from a broker, whose name he decreased to offer. He did not reply to inquiries concerning whether his kid was included.
Oussama Wehbe did not respond to an ask for remark. Reuters can not situate Safa Ahmed Saleh.
(Reporting by Firas Al Daalati in Damascus, Joanna Plucinska and Reade Levinson in London, Maha El Dahan in Dubai; Additional coverage by Jonathan Saul in London, Timour Azhari, Samia Nakhoul and Maya Gebeily in Damascus, Robbie Corey-Boulet and Portia Crowe in Dakar, Gleb Stolyarov in Tbilisi and Lisa Jucca in Milan; Editing by Lisa Jucca)
