The Fourth Division of Syria’s regime, overseen by Maher al-Assad, profited immensely during a prolonged civil war by engaging in various criminal activities. Documents reveal asset seizures, extortion, and drug trafficking, contributing to mass poverty. The division operated with impunity despite international sanctions, creating a disparity in wealth that led to profound suffering among ordinary Syrians. Their legacy remains a potent threat to future stability in Syria.
In a military complex located in the mountains overlooking Damascus, remnants of the Assad regime’s Fourth Division reveal how Maher al-Assad and his associates amassed considerable wealth amidst national suffering. Many bases once run by Maher have been looted, leaving behind documents that illuminate a corrupt economic empire built on exploitation during a 14-year civil war.
Papers obtained by AFP highlight how Maher al-Assad’s operations encompassed multiple illicit activities, effectively transforming Syria into a narco-state. Beyond the estimated $10-billion captagon trade, the Fourth Division was implicated in various smuggling and extortion schemes including:
– Expropriating homes and farms
– Seizing goods such as food and electronics for resale
– Looting construction materials from war-torn buildings
– Imposing fees at checkpoints and roadblocks
– Running protection rackets tied to oil transport
– Controlling lucrative tobacco and metal markets.
The core of this criminal enterprise was situated in Maher al-Assad’s clandestine underground complex, featuring expansive tunnels and security vaults. These vaults, some broken open by looters following the regime’s dissolution, had previously housed significant cash reserves and luxury items including watches. Reports suggest Maher took flight to Russia, separate from his brother Bashar, amid the regime’s collapse.
Evidence from the Fourth Division’s archives indicates they maintained a ready cash float of $80 million and substantial assets. Scholars note that while Western sanctions attempted to curb the Assads’ financial power, Maher and his operatives thrived independently, amassing wealth in villas and luxury vehicles, starkly contrasting the poverty experienced by the general populace.
Omar Shaaban, a former Fourth Division colonel, characterizes the division as a de facto state operating within Syria, using unregulated dollar transactions to accumulate wealth. Meanwhile, the majority of citizens subsist on an average of just $2 per day, showcasing the disparity in wealth distribution under the regime’s control.
Reports of Maher’s increasingly lavish lifestyle and criminal enterprises included connections to illicit businessmen, adding to his notoriety. The accounts of operational misconduct extend to involvement in drug trafficking and embracing corruption, compounding the suffering endured by ordinary Syrians.
Despite much of the documentary evidence remaining intact through the regime’s collapse, it was reported that many classified documents were incinerated during this process. Testimonies from former officers reveal that the Fourth Division’s financial dealings were a mafia-like operation, with unchecked power to exploit anyone who crossed their path.
The pervasive greed fostered by the division led to generations of suffering, as many families lost their homes with no avenue for recourse. Properties were seized, repurposed, and exploited, leaving the victims deprived of their livelihoods. The division controlled vital resources, such as metals, further entrenching their economic stranglehold.
Various activists argue that while many leaders have fled, the core of the Fourth Division – predominantly consisting of Alawites – remains entrenched in coastal regions. The legacy of the division has the potential to incite ongoing violence and instability within Syria, suggesting that their resources could fund a resurgence if not addressed through effective governance and justice measures.
The Assad regime’s Fourth Division, led by Maher al-Assad, exemplified a corrupt enterprise thriving at the expense of the Syrian populace. Through extensive criminal activities and exploitation, they amassed huge wealth amid national despair. This systemic corruption, coupled with the vacuum of power post-regime, poses threats of renewed violence and instability in Syria’s future. The unchecked legacy of the Fourth Division underscores the urgent need for transitional justice and inclusivity in any new governance framework.
Original Source: www.kten.com
