Intelligence Report: Vehicles Stolen in Turkey Used by ’ISIL’ in Syria, Iraq

Local Editor

More than 1,000 vehicles stolen in Turkey have been sent to Syria to be used by militants from the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" [ISIL] in clashes in Syria and Iraq, as a Turkish daily Milliey reported on Monday.

According to the Milliyet newspaper, citing an intelligence report, there are around 1,800 vehicles, which have been stolen in Turkey since 2013 and illegally taken into Syria that are now being used by "ISIL" militants.

After arming these vehicles, many of which are pickup trucks and panel vans, "ISIL" uses the vehicles in clashes in Iraq and Syria, the report said.

The report further said that "ISIL" has also been working on obtaining stolen vehicles from Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; however; most of the stolen vehicles are from Turkey.

Milliyet reported that "ISIL" has been operating with gangs of thieves in Turkey to obtain these vehicles.
"ISIL" let the gang members know the type and number of vehicles they want. The gangs then steal the vehicles in the big and border cities and change the license plates before sending them on to Syria. After the stolen vehicles are sent to the southeastern border cities, they pass the vehicles on to brokers. Brokers then sell the vehicles to "ISIL," according to the report.

The daily further reported that while vehicles such as small trucks and pickups have been used for transporting heavy arms, panel vans are used for bomb attacks. Stolen vehicles are also reportedly sold to other armed groups in Syria.

Sources: News Agencies, Edited by website team