Islah Party leaders’ net proceeds from oil smuggling through Bir Ali port in Shabwah province, eastern Yemen, range between 10 and 20 million dollars per month, the Media Center for the Southern Provinces reported on Monday.
The center revealed in a statement issued on Monday that the Islah Party is using the port of Bir Ali in Shabwah to illegally smuggle large oil shipments, with the aim of managing the black market and withdrawing currency from several provinces.
The port of Bir Ali receives a ship or two a week, carrying more than 40,000 tons of oil and diesel, and the Islah leaders reportedly them at double their price, taking advantage of the people’s need for fuel, the statement explained.
The smuggling operations are carried out with the protection of the Saudi-led coalition and their mercenaries, represented by General Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar and the oil merchant Ahmed Al-Eisi, according to the statement.
“The petroleum products smuggled through the port of Bir Ali in Shabwah are not subject to any official procedures in terms of specifications and standards,” the center said.
The center added that the Islah militia uses Al-Nushimah port to smuggle the crude oil and uses the port of Bir Ali to receive the smuggled petroleum products shipments.
