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Italian police are investigating an alleged partnership between the local mafia and the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in smuggling crude oil from the Middle East and north Africa into Europe. according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. A confidential report of the Guardia di Finanza – a law enforcement agency that reports to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. states that some of the country`s biggest refineries had exceeding quantities of oil and that the extra amounts may come from Libya and Syria – countries where ISIS has a strong presence.
Police suspects vessels of the two criminal groups turn off their transponders to prevent detection and then meet in the Mediterranean to transfer the crude from one to the other. Once the transfer is completed. they turn the transponders back on once they are apart from each other.
The vessels with the crude oil then proceed to ports in Italy and France. according to media.
Oil is the only real national resource in these countries and governments and militias are fighting for control over it. as well as over refineries and ports. In Syria. ISIS had control of several oil fields while in Libya it is unclear whether it is in possession of fields and refineries.
