Oil stolen from pipeline near Iraqi Army checkpoint in Kirkuk town

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Oil from a pipeline in Kirkuk province near an Iraqi Army checkpoint was recently stolen, Kurdistan 24 has learned.

A hole was made in the oil pipeline, which is very close to an Iraqi Army checkpoint in the town of Sargaran in Kirkuk province. Then tanker trucks stole the oil from the hole and were able to leave the area. 

Residents from Sargaran were surprised that the tankers were able to get through the Iraqi checkpoint, which is usually “very strict.”

“The Iraqi Army force in charge of securing the area is accused of making a hole in the oil pipeline,” said Nasr Harki, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee.

It’s unclear how many times or for how long the tankers were stealing oil in this way. 

After uncovering this scheme, the North Oil Company and Oil Police teams started fixing the damaged pipeline.

The Iraqi force responsible for securing the area is now reportedly under investigation for complicity in this theft.