On Thursday, Libya’s Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that it has stopped supplying 15 fuel stations, after they were found to be involved in fuel smuggling.
The Office stated that this is part of measures aimed at combating fuel smuggling in the area extending from Zawiya, to the Ras Ajdir border crossing.
It reviewed the information provided by law enforcement officers, indicating the involvement of 15 distribution stations in illicitly selling fuel to smugglers. After completing the investigations, a decision was made to stop supplying these stations.
In September, Libya’s Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour expressed growing concerns over the “increasingly complex nature of crime in the country.”
During a joint press conference held today with Interior Minister Emad Al-Tarabulsi, he delineated how criminal activities have “morphed from conventional transgressions into complex, organised ventures, steered not just by local gangs, but international syndicates as well.”
Al-Sour mentioned that the security situation across Libya “faces numerous challenges and intricacies. Efforts are being made progressively, and there’s a pressing need for resources, training, and development in the country.”
The Attorney General emphasised the magnitude of this problem, revealing that since 2000, Libya recorded a staggering 707,000 crimes. Out of these, grave crimes such as murder, banditry, assault, public and private property offences, human trafficking, drug trade, and illegal immigration amounted to 110,949 cases.
The joint press briefing focused on the security strategies devised to bolster the safety mechanisms around Tripoli and its suburbs. Given the intertwined dynamics of local and global criminal networks, it’s clear that the task ahead for Libyan law enforcement is both daunting and multifaceted.