Latest news with #EmbraerLegacy600
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Flight of a Syrian despot
AS his regime crumbled, Bashar al-Assad made a hasty exit, using a private jet to move cash, valuables and confidential documents from Damascus to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a covert four-flight operation. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet – tail number C5-SKY and registered in Gambia – was arranged by Assad's top economic aide, Yasar Ibrahim. The aircraft shuttled key aides, relatives and materials critical to Assad's corporate empire out of Syria in the final 48 hours before the regime's collapse. Sources – ranging from ex-intelligence officers to insiders in Assad's business network – confirmed that each flight ferried black bags of cash (each containing at least US$500,000), electronic devices and documents outlining the structure of 'The Group', a web of entities controlling sectors from telecoms to energy. Yasar was sanctioned for facilitating the regime's economic survival through shell companies and financial fronts. The fourth and final flight departed on Dec 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military base in Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Assad himself left from the same base for Russia, where he was granted asylum. Personal souvenirs belonging to the former president strewn about one of the palace's rooms. — Reuters Reuters spoke to 14 Syrian sources and examined satellite images, WhatsApp chats between Yasar's associates and global aviation records to reconstruct the secretive operation. On Dec 6, as rebels neared Damascus, the 13-seat jet arrived at the capital's international airport. Air Force intelligence officers sealed off the VIP terminal. According to sources on-site, a convoy of Republican Guard vehicles escorted passengers and cargo to the jet. The head of airport security, Brig-Gen Ghadeer Ali, reportedly told ground staff, 'This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it. You have not seen this plane.' Assad's direct involvement was not officially confirmed, but the presence of the Republican Guard – a unit loyal only to Assad or his cousin Gen Talal Makhlouf – left little doubt. 'Bashar gave the orders,' said a former Guard officer. Flight data shows the C5-SKY jet flew to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport on each trip. It first arrived in Damascus just after midday on Dec 6, then returned to Abu Dhabi the same evening. Each time the jet landed, cars rushed to meet it. Witnesses say palace staff, relatives and even teenagers boarded the first two flights, along with bags of cash and artworks. The third flight on Dec 7 carried hard drives and documents detailing financial records, company ownerships and offshore transfers linked to Assad's empire. UAE embassy vehicles were reportedly seen near the plane before take-off, suggesting that the Gulf state was aware. With rebels at the gates on Dec 8, Assad fled to Latakia under Russian protection. People waving flags adopted by the new Syrian government during celebrations in Damascus after Assad's ousting. — Reuters That same day, the C5-SKY plane vanished from tracking radar after passing Homs, only to reappear hours later, flying back to Abu Dhabi. Satellite imagery confirmed the jet had landed at Hmeimim air base. Aboard was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a sanctioned associate of Yasar, who arrived in an Emirati embassy armoured vehicle and carried US$500,000 in cash. The funds had been withdrawn two days earlier from Syria International Islamic Bank, via an account linked to Al-Burj Investments – a company half-owned by Yasar. Sources said the aircraft was leased under a 'dry lease' – providing only the plane, without crew or operations. The jet was leased from Lebanese businessman Mohamad Wehbe, who referred to it in a WhatsApp chat as 'the Lebanese plane'. It was registered in Gambia under Flying Airline Company, which is majority-owned by an Iraqi national and partly by a Lebanese man named Oussama Wehbe – believed to be Mohamad's son. C5-SKY had flown frequently to Russia before Assad's fall, including during a period when Western aviation sanctions were in place against Moscow. The government of new Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa is determined to recover assets smuggled abroad. A senior official confirmed that money was taken before Assad's fall but offered no details. While it's unclear if Assad personally directed the operation, insiders said such a sensitive mission could not have proceeded without his consent. — Reuters
Khaleej Times
18-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Fall of Bashar Al Assad: How did he escape Syria?
As rebels closed in on Damascus, Bashar al-Assad, who ruled over Syria with an iron fist for 24 years, used a private jet to spirit away cash, valuables and confidential documents mapping the corporate web behind his wealth. Yasar Ibrahim, the president's top economic adviser, arranged the leasing of the plane to transport Assad's treasured assets, relatives, aides and presidential palace personnel to a Gulf country aboard four flights, according to an account of the operation pieced together by Reuters from more than a dozen sources. Ibrahim, who ran the economic and financial office of the presidency, was instrumental in creating a network of entities Assad used to control swathes of Syria's economy, often acting as a front for the former ruler, according to US sanctions notices, as well as experts on Syria's economy and one source inside Assad's business network. Western nations imposed sanctions on Assad following his repression of 2011 pro-democracy protests and later on Ibrahim for assisting the regime. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made four back-to-back trips to Syria in the 48 hours before the regime's fall, according to a Reuters review of flight tracking records. The plane, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is registered in Gambia. The fourth flight departed on December 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base, near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, according to flight tracking records, a satellite image and a former Air Force Intelligence source with direct knowledge of the operation. Assad fled to Russia on the same day from the same base. The operation to extract Assad's assets from Syria has not been previously reported. Reuters spoke to 14 Syrian sources with knowledge of the scheme, including airport staff, former intelligence and Presidential Guard officers and a person within Assad's business network. The news agency also reviewed a WhatsApp conversation between Ibrahim's associates, flight tracking data, satellite images, and corporate and aviation ownership registers on three continents to assemble its account of how Assad's closest confidant orchestrated safe passage for the plane. The jet carried unmarked black bags of cash holding at least $500,000 as well as documents, laptops and hard drives with key intelligence about "The Group", the codename Assad and Ibrahim's associates used for the intricate network of entities spanning telecoms, banking, real estate, energy and other activities, according to the individual inside Assad's network, a former Air Force Intelligence officer and the WhatsApp conversation. Assad, whose whereabouts was kept secret from even close family members in the last frantic days of his regime, has been granted political asylum in Russia. Reuters was unable to reach him or Ibrahim for comment. The government of new president Ahmed al-Sharaa is determined to recover public funds taken abroad in the run up to Assad's fall, a senior official told Reuters, to support Syria's economy as it labours under sanctions and a currency shortage. The official confirmed to Reuters that money was smuggled out of the country before the former ruler's ouster, but did not elaborate how, adding that authorities were still determining where the money went. Reuters could not independently determine whether Assad actively directed the escape operation. Several sources with direct knowledge of the mission said it could not have happened without the ruler's blessing. 'You have not seen this plane' On December 6, as rebels led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched towards the capital, the 13-seater Embraer jet approached Damascus International Airport. More than a dozen staff in the camouflage uniforms of Syria's Air Force Intelligence, a main instrument of political repression under Assad, mobilised to guard the Hall of Ceremonies, the airport's VIP section, and its access route, according to six sources with knowledge of the operation. Four of these sources said they were at the scene. A handful of civilian cars with tinted windows approached the area, three of the people on site said. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, tasked to protect Assad and the Presidential Palace, said two of the people on site, the former intelligence officer and a senior airport official. The involvement of the Republican Guard meant that "Bashar (al-Assad) gave the orders" relating to the operation, according to a former senior Republican Guard member. The guard answered only to its commander, Assad's cousin General Talal Makhlouf, or Assad himself, this person added. The head of airport security, Brigadier-General Ghadeer Ali, told airport staff that Air Force Intelligence personnel would handle the aircraft, according to Mohammed Qairout, head of ground operations with Syrian Air. "This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it," Qairout recalled being told by Ali. "You have not seen this plane." Ali, a senior Air Force Intelligence officer, took orders directly from the Presidential Palace, three Syrian airport officials and the former intelligence officer said. Reuters could not reach Ali for comment. Ali told Air Force Intelligence staff that Presidential Palace personnel and relatives of Assad, including teenagers, were due to board the first two flights that left Damascus on December 6, which also carried cash, according to the former intelligence officer at the scene. Reuters could not access a manifest for the four flights to confirm the plane's passengers or cargo. The second flight from Damascus also transported paintings and some small sculptures, said the same source. On December 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4 pm and left for a third time 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, according to the intelligence officer and the source inside Assad's business network. The stored information included financial records, minutes of meetings, ownership of companies, real estate and partnerships, as well as details of cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts, this source said. Early on December 8, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee for his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. Damascus airport stopped operating. A satellite image taken at 9.11 am by Planet Labs captured the plane on the runway at Hmeimim. Reuters was able to confirm the Embraer jet in the image was C5-SKY based on the size and shape and flight tracking data. The jet was the only private plane flying in and out of Syria between December 6 and December 8, flight tracking data show. Aboard the flight from Hmeimim was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a close associate of Ibrahim active inside Assad's network, according to the Air Force Intelligence officer, the source inside Assad's business empire and the WhatsApp conversation. Khalil is under Western sanctions for supporting the former regime by operating and controlling several businesses in Syria. He had reached the Russian base, carrying $500,000 in cash, according to the person inside Assad's network and the WhatsApp messages. Khalil had withdrawn the money two days earlier from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB), according to the same sources. The person inside Assad's circle said the account belongs to Damascus-based Al-Burj Investments. The company is 50-per-cent owned by Ibrahim, according to The Syria Report, an online platform that contains a corporate database compiled by Syria experts which cited 2018 official Syrian records. Khalil did not respond to a request for comment sent via his Facebook account. SIIB and Al-Burj did not respond to emails seeking comment. The individual inside Assad's business circle and a former official at Syria's Air Transport Authority said the Embraer jet was operating under a 'dry lease', in which the owner provides the aircraft, but no crew, pilot, maintenance, ground operations or insurance. Reuters couldn't determine who operated the flights. 'The Lebanese plane' Ibrahim leased the jet from Lebanese businessman Mohamad Wehbe, according to a member of Syria's business elite and the source inside Assad's network. In the WhatsApp conversation the jet was described by one of Ibrahim's associates as "the Lebanese plane". In April 2024, Mohamad Wehbe posted pictures of C5-SKY on LinkedIn with the caption, "welcome". In January, the businessman wrote in a separate LinkedIn post that the aircraft was for sale. The plane was registered in Gambia to a local company, Flying Airline Company, from April 2024. Flight tracking records show that, in the months preceding Assad's fall, the aircraft had flown to Assad's ally Russia, currently under Western aviation sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters was unable to reach the registered contact for Flying Airline Company in Gambia, Sheikh Tijan Jallow. Flying Airline Co. is 30-per-cent owned by another Lebanese national, Oussama Wehbe, and 70-per-cent owned by Iraqi national Safa Ahmed Saleh, as per Gambian records. Social media show Mohamad Wehbe has a son named Oussama who also works in the aviation industry. Reuters could not confirm if he is the same man on the Gambian registry. Contacted by Reuters, Mohamad Wehbe denied any involvement with the C5-SKY flights in and out of Syria and told Reuters he does not own the plane but merely rents it "sometimes" from a broker, whose name he declined to provide. He did not respond to questions about whether his son was involved.
Roya News
17-04-2025
- Business
- Roya News
How Assad's assets were smuggled in regime's final days: Reuters investigation
A new investigation by Reuters has uncovered the details of a covert air operation, orchestrated by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to smuggle cash, critical documents, and key members of his inner circle out of Syria in the final days of his regime. The operation took place in December 2024, as the regime's control over Damascus was quickly crumbling. According to the report, four flights using a private jet ferried Assad's valuables and associates from Syria to the United Arab Emirates in the final 48 hours before the regime's fall. The operation was coordinated by Yasar Ibrahim, Assad's top economic adviser, who was pivotal in building the regime's financial web. Ibrahim arranged to lease a 13-seat Embraer Legacy 600 jet, registered in Gambia, which made four back-to-back trips during the critical period. The jet carried at least USD 500,000 in unmarked cash, laptops, hard drives, and sensitive documents related to Assad's financial network, known internally as 'The Group.' This network allegedly spanned key sectors of Syria's economy, including banking, telecoms, and real estate, many of whose details were stored on the digital files smuggled out of the country. Operation timeline, Key Figures The operation began on December 6, 2024, when rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham advanced toward Damascus. At this time, Syrian Air Force Intelligence personnel sealed off the VIP section of the capital's airport, making it a focal point for the operation. According to multiple sources involved in the mission, Assad's Republican Guard and Air Force Intelligence were directly involved in securing the departure of the jet. On the ground, civilian vehicles from the Republican Guard, responsible for protecting Assad, transported high-ranking figures and materials to the waiting aircraft. Sources from the operation confirmed that Assad's regime orchestrated the flights at the highest level, with orders likely coming directly from Assad himself. Brigadier-General Ghadeer Ali, head of airport security at Damascus International Airport, reportedly instructed his staff to let Air Force Intelligence handle the plane. 'This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it,' Ali said, according to airport staff who were present. 'You have not seen this plane.' The flights continued through December 7 and culminated on December 8, with the final departure from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base. That same day, Assad fled Syria for Russia, where he has since been granted political asylum. Role of Yasar Ibrahim, Smuggling of wealth Ibrahim, who managed Assad's financial and economic affairs, played a crucial role in the operation. He oversaw the logistics, leasing of the jet, and the transportation of black duffel bags containing cash, hard drives, and confidential files. His involvement ties directly into the opaque financial network behind Assad's wealth and power, which has been linked to a series of shell companies and cronies. Ibrahim has been sanctioned by Western governments for his role in consolidating economic power on behalf of Assad's regime. The assets smuggled during the operation represent only a fraction of the regime's overall wealth, which was carefully hidden across various sectors. The network, referred to as "The Group," is believed to have extended its reach into multiple industries, including real estate, telecoms, and banking, with Ibrahim at the center of it all. Reuters' investigation revealed that the operation was conducted under extreme secrecy. Sources from the Syrian intelligence community confirmed that even close family members of Assad were unaware of his whereabouts in the final days of his regime. Fate of Assad's assets, Syria's new leadership The involvement of Syria's military and intelligence apparatus, including the Republican Guard and Air Force Intelligence, points to a highly organized and sanctioned operation. While Reuters could not confirm whether Assad personally oversaw every detail of the escape, sources involved in the mission said it could not have happened without his approval. In the wake of Assad's departure, the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa is working to trace the smuggled assets. A senior official confirmed to Reuters that funds were moved out of Syria in the last days of Assad's rule, but the full scope and destination of those assets remain under investigation. Western governments had already imposed sanctions on Assad and Ibrahim for their roles in suppressing the 2011 uprising and for facilitating the consolidation of wealth through illegal networks. However, the continued influence of the regime's financial architecture remains a significant concern for Syria's future. Although Assad's regime has fallen, the assets smuggled abroad could still have a lasting impact on the country's political and economic landscape. Unanswered questions, ongoing investigations Despite the dramatic revelations about the smuggling operation, the full story of how Assad's regime preserved its wealth remains unclear. Sources close to the operation said the financial details surrounding the escape are still being unraveled by authorities in Syria. The scope of the network and where the assets ultimately ended up remains key question. As the new Syrian government works to recover these funds, one thing is clear: Assad's influence, through his network and the financial assets he smuggled out of the country, will continue to shape the future of Syria in ways that are still not fully understood.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Operation Assad: the air mission to smuggle the Syrian despot's valuables
By Feras Dalatey, Joanna Plucinska, Reade Levinson, Maha El Dahan DAMASCUS/LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) -As his enemies closed in on Damascus, Bashar al-Assad, who ruled over Syria with an iron fist for 24 years, used a private jet to spirit away cash, valuables and confidential documents mapping the corporate web behind his wealth. Yasar Ibrahim, the president's top economic adviser, arranged the leasing of the plane to transport Assad's treasured assets, relatives, aides and presidential palace personnel to the United Arab Emirates aboard four flights, according to an account of the operation pieced together by Reuters from more than a dozen sources. Ibrahim, who ran the economic and financial office of the presidency, was instrumental in creating a network of entities Assad used to control swathes of Syria's economy, often acting as a front for the former ruler, according to U.S. sanctions notices, as well as experts on Syria's economy and one source inside Assad's business network. Western nations imposed sanctions on Assad following his repression of 2011 pro-democracy protests and later on Ibrahim for assisting the regime. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made the four back-to-back trips to Syria in the 48 hours before the regime's fall, according to a Reuters review of flight tracking records. The plane, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is registered in Gambia. The fourth flight departed on December 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base, near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, according to flight tracking records, a satellite image and a former Air Force Intelligence source with direct knowledge of the operation. Assad fled to Russia on the same day from the same base. The operation to extract Assad's assets from Syria has not been previously reported. Reuters spoke to 14 Syrian sources with knowledge of the scheme, including airport staff, former intelligence and Presidential Guard officers and a person within Assad's business network. The news agency also reviewed a WhatsApp conversation between Ibrahim's associates, flight tracking data, satellite images, and corporate and aviation ownership registers on three continents to assemble its account of how Assad's closest confidant orchestrated safe passage for the plane. The jet carried unmarked black bags of cash holding at least $500,000 as well as documents, laptops and hard drives with key intelligence about "The Group", the codename Assad and Ibrahim's associates used for the intricate network of entities spanning telecoms, banking, real estate, energy and other activities, according to the individual inside Assad's network, a former Air Force Intelligence officer and the WhatsApp conversation. Assad, whose whereabouts was kept secret from even close family members in the last frantic days of his regime, has been granted political asylum in Russia. Reuters was unable to reach him or Ibrahim for comment. The foreign ministries of Russia and the UAE didn't respond to questions about the operation. The government of new president Ahmed al-Sharaa is determined to recover public funds taken abroad in the run up to Assad's fall, a senior official told Reuters, to support Syria's economy as it labours under sanctions and a currency shortage. The official confirmed to Reuters that money was smuggled out of the country before the former ruler's ouster, but did not elaborate how, adding that authorities were still determining where the money went. Reuters could not independently determine whether Assad actively directed the escape operation. Several sources with direct knowledge of the mission said it could not have happened without the ruler's blessing. 'YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS PLANE' On December 6, as rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched towards the capital, the 13-seater Embraer jet approached Damascus International Airport. More than a dozen staff in the camouflage uniforms of Syria's Air Force Intelligence - a main instrument of political repression under Assad - mobilised to guard the Hall of Ceremonies, the airport's VIP section, and its access route, according to six sources with knowledge of the operation. Four of these sources said they were at the scene. A handful of civilian cars with tinted windows approached the area, three of the people on site said. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, tasked to protect Assad and the Presidential Palace, said two of the people on site - the former intelligence officer and a senior airport official. The involvement of the Republican Guard meant that "Bashar (al-Assad) gave the orders" relating to the operation, according to a former senior Republican Guard member. The guard answered only to its commander, Assad's cousin General Talal Makhlouf, or Assad himself, this person added. The head of airport security, Brigadier-General Ghadeer Ali, told airport staff that Air Force Intelligence personnel would handle the aircraft, according to Mohammed Qairout, head of ground operations with Syrian Air. "This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it," Qairout recalled being told by Ali. "You have not seen this plane." Ali, a senior Air Force Intelligence officer, took orders directly from the Presidential Palace, three Syrian airport officials and the former intelligence officer said. Reuters could not reach Ali for comment. FINAL HOURS The C5-SKY plane flew each time to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport, used by dignitaries and known for its strict privacy, Flightradar24 data show. At first, the jet left Dubai on Dec. 6 and landed in Damascus around noon local time (0900 GMT). It then flew to Al Bateen airport and was back in Damascus just 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," said one of five sources working at the airport. Ali told Air Force Intelligence staff that Presidential Palace personnel and relatives of Assad - including teenagers - were due to board the first two flights that left Damascus on December 6, which also carried cash, according to the former intelligence officer at the scene. Reuters could not access a manifest for the four flights to confirm the plane's passengers or cargo. The second flight from Damascus also transported paintings and some small sculptures, said the same source. On Dec. 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4 p.m. and left for Al Bateen for a third time 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, according to the intelligence officer and the source inside Assad's business network. The stored information included financial records, minutes of meetings, ownership of companies, real estate and partnerships, as well as details of cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts, this source said. This time, vehicles belonging to the UAE embassy in Damascus approached the VIP airport area before the jet took off, said the former intelligence officer, which he said suggested the UAE was aware of the operation. DETOUR TO RUSSIAN BASE Early on December 8, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee for his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. Damascus airport stopped operating. Shortly after midnight that day, the C5-SKY jet left Al Bateen one last time. After passing over the city of Homs, north of Damascus, at around 3 a.m. local time, the plane dropped off flight tracking coverage for about six hours before reappearing over Homs, headed back to Abu Dhabi, data from Flightradar24 show. During that window, it landed at the Hmeimim base in the Latakia province, according to the former intelligence officer. A satellite image taken at 9:11 a.m. by Planet Labs captured the plane on the runway at Hmeimim. Reuters was able to confirm the Embraer jet in the image was C5-SKY based on the size and shape and flight tracking data. The jet was the only private plane flying in and out of Syria between December 6 and December 8, flight tracking data show. Aboard the flight from Hmeimim was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a close associate of Ibrahim active inside Assad's network, according to the Air Force Intelligence officer, the source inside Assad's business empire and the WhatsApp conversation. Khalil is under Western sanctions for supporting the former regime by operating and controlling several businesses in Syria. He had reached the Russian base in an Emirati embassy armoured car and was carrying $500,000 in cash, according to the person inside Assad's network and the WhatsApp messages. Khalil had withdrawn the money two days earlier from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB), according to the same sources. The person inside Assad's circle said the account belongs to Damascus-based Al-Burj Investments. The company is 50% owned by Ibrahim, according to The Syria Report, an online platform that contains a corporate database compiled by Syria experts which cited 2018 official Syrian records. Khalil did not respond to a request for comment sent via his Facebook account. SIIB and Al-Burj did not respond to emails seeking comment. The individual inside Assad's business circle and a former official at Syria's Air Transport Authority said the Embraer jet was operating under a 'dry lease', in which the owner provides the aircraft, but no crew, pilot, maintenance, ground operations or insurance. Reuters couldn't determine who operated the flights. Ibrahim reached Abu Dhabi on Dec. 11, this person added. Asked about the plane in an interview with Reuters, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa declined to comment. 'THE LEBANESE PLANE' Ibrahim leased the jet from Lebanese businessman Mohamad Wehbe, according to a member of Syria's business elite and the source inside Assad's network. In the WhatsApp conversation the jet was described by one of Ibrahim's associates as "the Lebanese plane". Wehbe owns Flying Airline FZCO, registered as a Dubai Free Zone company, according to his LinkedIn profile. In April 2024, Mohamad Wehbe posted pictures of C5-SKY on LinkedIn with the caption, "welcome". In January, the businessman wrote in a separate LinkedIn post that the aircraft was for sale. The plane was registered in Gambia to a local company, Flying Airline Company, from April 2024. Flight tracking records show that, in the months preceding Assad's fall, the aircraft had flown to Assad's ally Russia, currently under Western aviation sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters was unable to reach the registered contact for Flying Airline Company in Gambia, Sheikh Tijan Jallow. Flying Airline Co. is 30%-owned by another Lebanese national, Oussama Wehbe, and 70%-owned by Iraqi national Safa Ahmed Saleh, as per Gambian records. Social media show Mohamad Wehbe has a son named Oussama who also works in the aviation industry. Reuters could not confirm if he is the same man on the Gambian registry. Contacted by Reuters, Mohamad Wehbe denied any involvement with the C5-SKY flights in and out of Syria and told Reuters he does not own the plane but merely rents it "sometimes" from a broker, whose name he declined to provide. He did not respond to questions about whether his son was involved. Oussama Wehbe did not reply to a request for comment. Reuters could not locate Safa Ahmed Saleh.
Arab News
17-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Operation Assad: the air mission to smuggle the Syrian despot's valuables
DUBAI: As his enemies closed in on Damascus, Bashar Assad, who ruled over Syria with an iron fist for 24 years, used a private jet to spirit away cash, valuables and confidential documents mapping the corporate web behind his wealth. Yasar Ibrahim, the president's top economic adviser, arranged the leasing of the plane to transport Assad's treasured assets, relatives, aides and presidential palace personnel to the United Arab Emirates aboard four flights, according to an account of the operation pieced together by Reuters from more than a dozen sources. Ibrahim, who ran the economic and financial office of the presidency, was instrumental in creating a network of entities Assad used to control swathes of Syria's economy, often acting as a front for the former ruler, according to US sanctions notices, as well as experts on Syria's economy and one source inside Assad's business network. Western nations imposed sanctions on Assad following his repression of 2011 pro-democracy protests and later on Ibrahim for assisting the regime. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made the four back-to-back trips to Syria in the 48 hours before the regime's fall, according to a Reuters review of flight tracking records. The plane, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is registered in Gambia. The fourth flight departed on December 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base, near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, according to flight tracking records, a satellite image and a former Air Force Intelligence source with direct knowledge of the operation. Assad fled to Russia on the same day from the same base. The operation to extract Assad's assets from Syria has not been previously reported. Reuters spoke to 14 Syrian sources with knowledge of the scheme, including airport staff, former intelligence and Presidential Guard officers and a person within Assad's business network. The news agency also reviewed a WhatsApp conversation between Ibrahim's associates, flight tracking data, satellite images, and corporate and aviation ownership registers on three continents to assemble its account of how Assad's closest confidant orchestrated safe passage for the plane. The jet carried unmarked black bags of cash holding at least $500,000 as well as documents, laptops and hard drives with key intelligence about 'The Group,' the codename Assad and Ibrahim's associates used for the intricate network of entities spanning telecoms, banking, real estate, energy and other activities, according to the individual inside Assad's network, a former Air Force Intelligence officer and the WhatsApp conversation. Assad, whose whereabouts was kept secret from even close family members in the last frantic days of his regime, has been granted political asylum in Russia. Reuters was unable to reach him or Ibrahim for comment. The foreign ministries of Russia and the UAE didn't respond to questions about the operation. The government of new president Ahmed Al-Sharaa is determined to recover public funds taken abroad in the run up to Assad's fall, a senior official told Reuters, to support Syria's economy as it labors under sanctions and a currency shortage. The official confirmed to Reuters that money was smuggled out of the country before the former ruler's ouster, but did not elaborate how, adding that authorities were still determining where the money went. Reuters could not independently determine whether Assad actively directed the escape operation. Several sources with direct knowledge of the mission said it could not have happened without the ruler's blessing. 'YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS PLANE' On December 6, as rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham marched toward the capital, the 13-seater Embraer jet approached Damascus International Airport. More than a dozen staff in the camouflage uniforms of Syria's Air Force Intelligence — a main instrument of political repression under Assad — mobilized to guard the Hall of Ceremonies, the airport's VIP section, and its access route, according to six sources with knowledge of the operation. Four of these sources said they were at the scene. A handful of civilian cars with tinted windows approached the area, three of the people on site said. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, tasked to protect Assad and the Presidential Palace, said two of the people on site — the former intelligence officer and a senior airport official. The involvement of the Republican Guard meant that 'Bashar (Assad) gave the orders' relating to the operation, according to a former senior Republican Guard member. The guard answered only to its commander, Assad's cousin General Talal Makhlouf, or Assad himself, this person added. The head of airport security, Brig.-General Ghadeer Ali, told airport staff that Air Force Intelligence personnel would handle the aircraft, according to Mohammed Qairout, head of ground operations with Syrian Air. 'This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it,' Qairout recalled being told by Ali. 'You have not seen this plane.' Ali, a senior Air Force Intelligence officer, took orders directly from the Presidential Palace, three Syrian airport officials and the former intelligence officer said. Reuters could not reach Ali for comment. FINAL HOURS The C5-SKY plane flew each time to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport, used by dignitaries and known for its strict privacy, Flightradar24 data show. At first, the jet left Dubai on Dec. 6 and landed in Damascus around noon local time (0900 GMT). It then flew to Al Bateen airport and was back in Damascus just after 10 p.m. Each time it landed, 'cars rushed toward the plane, staying for a short time and then leaving just before the plane took off again,' said one of five sources working at the airport. Ali told Air Force Intelligence staff that Presidential Palace personnel and relatives of Assad — including teenagers — were due to board the first two flights that left Damascus on December 6, which also carried cash, according to the former intelligence officer at the scene. Reuters could not access a manifest for the four flights to confirm the plane's passengers or cargo. The second flight from Damascus also transported paintings and some small sculptures, said the same source. On Dec. 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4 p.m. and left for Al Bateen for a third time 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, according to the intelligence officer and the source inside Assad's business network. The stored information included financial records, minutes of meetings, ownership of companies, real estate and partnerships, as well as details of cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts, this source said. This time, vehicles belonging to the UAE embassy in Damascus approached the VIP airport area before the jet took off, said the former intelligence officer, which he said suggested the UAE was aware of the operation. DETOUR TO RUSSIAN BASE Early on December 8, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee for his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. Damascus airport stopped operating. Shortly after midnight that day, the C5-SKY jet left Al Bateen one last time. After passing over the city of Homs, north of Damascus, at around 3 a.m. local time, the plane dropped off flight tracking coverage for about six hours before reappearing over Homs, headed back to Abu Dhabi, data from Flightradar24 show. During that window, it landed at the Hmeimim base in the Latakia province, according to the former intelligence officer. A satellite image taken at 9:11 a.m. by Planet Labs captured the plane on the runway at Hmeimim. Reuters was able to confirm the Embraer jet in the image was C5-SKY based on the size and shape and flight tracking data. The jet was the only private plane flying in and out of Syria between December 6 and December 8, flight tracking data show. Aboard the flight from Hmeimim was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a close associate of Ibrahim active inside Assad's network, according to the Air Force Intelligence officer, the source inside Assad's business empire and the WhatsApp conversation. Khalil is under Western sanctions for supporting the former regime by operating and controlling several businesses in Syria. He had reached the Russian base in an Emirati embassy armored car and was carrying $500,000 in cash, according to the person inside Assad's network and the WhatsApp messages. Khalil had withdrawn the money two days earlier from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB), according to the same sources. The person inside Assad's circle said the account belongs to Damascus-based Al-Burj Investments. The company is 50 percent owned by Ibrahim, according to The Syria Report, an online platform that contains a corporate database compiled by Syria experts which cited 2018 official Syrian records. Khalil did not respond to a request for comment sent via his Facebook account. SIIB and Al-Burj did not respond to emails seeking comment. The individual inside Assad's business circle and a former official at Syria's Air Transport Authority said the Embraer jet was operating under a 'dry lease', in which the owner provides the aircraft, but no crew, pilot, maintenance, ground operations or insurance. Reuters couldn't determine who operated the flights. Ibrahim reached Abu Dhabi on Dec. 11, this person added. Asked about the plane in an interview with Reuters, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa declined to comment. 'THE LEBANESE PLANE' Ibrahim leased the jet from Lebanese businessman Mohamad Wehbe, according to a member of Syria's business elite and the source inside Assad's network. In the WhatsApp conversation the jet was described by one of Ibrahim's associates as 'the Lebanese plane.' In April 2024, Mohamad Wehbe posted pictures of C5-SKY on LinkedIn with the caption, 'welcome.' In January, the businessman wrote in a separate LinkedIn post that the aircraft was for sale. The plane was registered in Gambia to a local company, Flying Airline Company, from April 2024. Flight tracking records show that, in the months preceding Assad's fall, the aircraft had flown to Assad's ally Russia, currently under Western aviation sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters was unable to reach the registered contact for Flying Airline Company in Gambia, Sheikh Tijan Jallow. Flying Airline Co. is 30 percent-owned by another Lebanese national, Oussama Wehbe, and 70 percent-owned by Iraqi national Safa Ahmed Saleh, as per Gambian records. Social media show Mohamad Wehbe has a son named Oussama who also works in the aviation industry. Reuters could not confirm if he is the same man on the Gambian registry. Contacted by Reuters, Mohamad Wehbe denied any involvement with the C5-SKY flights in and out of Syria and told Reuters he does not own the plane but merely rents it 'sometimes' from a broker, whose name he declined to provide. He did not respond to questions about whether his son was involved. Oussama Wehbe did not reply to a request for comment. Reuters could not locate Safa Ahmed Saleh.
