On Saturday, the Libyan Prime Minister-designate Osama Hammad inaugurated a cooking gas cylinder filling station at the Brega Oil Marketing Company depot in Ajdabiya.
The establishment of this filling point aims to address the shortage of cooking gas cylinders in Ajdabiya, with the Brega Oil Marketing Company playing a pivotal role in its establishment.
The inauguration was attended by the Deputy Minister of Interior, Faraj Egaim, the Mayor of Ajdabiya, Nasr Gharbi, the General Manager of Brega Oil Marketing Company facilities, Wanees Al-Saity, the Commander of the 166 Infantry Brigade, Colonel Ahmed Al-Tabouli, several Heads of security agencies, and prominent figures and elders of the city.
During his visit to Ajdabiya, Hammad also reviewed the progress of the public housing maintenance project undertaken by the Reconstruction and Stability Committee and the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund.
The tour included the housing complexes known as Military Clinic Apartments and Car Market Apartments, as well as several main and secondary roads that were recently paved. Additionally, new lighting networks were installed along the city’s roads.
Last month, Libyan authorities initiated a comprehensive investigation following the seizure of a significant quantity of methyl bromide gas cylinders. This toxic substance was discovered being smuggled inside a truck in Zliten, a city in western Libya.
The Libyan Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour, ordered the detention of the individual responsible for transporting the smuggled Methyl Bromide gas into the country on Thursday evening.
Images circulating in Libyan media outlets show the gas cylinders concealed within a truck, buried under dirt, highlighting the smugglers’ attempts to evade detection.
According to press reports, Libyan authorities were alerted to “unjustified traffic movement across Libyan cities involving an individual wanted by the prosecution for his involvement in large-scale drug trafficking and psychoactive substances.”
Acting on this information, security forces tracked down the suspect, apprehending him in possession of 253 cylinders containing “Methyl Bromide,” described as “toxic and carcinogenic.”
The Attorney General’s office clarified that the seized gas is classified among substances banned from import due to its potential to cause chronic diseases in humans and harm the ecological system.
As the suspect remains in custody, the focus of the Libyan authorities has shifted to unraveling the smuggling operation’s logistics.
Understanding how such a large quantity of a banned substance was transported into Libya is crucial for preventing future incidents and tightening security measures.