Libya's Fuel Smuggling Scandal: A $20 Billion Black Hole for Taxpayers
A shocking report by the Sentry investigative body reveals that Libya's fuel smuggling industry has cost the country an astonishing $20 billion over three years, with state-sanctioned smuggling orchestrated by politicians and security leaders who claim to serve the public. The scandal has been described as a "sheer scale" of corruption, with politicians working alongside foreign states to plunder the nation's primary revenue source.
The report cites a surge in fuel imports between 2022 and 2024, which rose from around 20.4 million litres per day in early 2021 to over 41 million litres per day by late 2024. The increase was not justified by genuine domestic demand for refined petrol, with more than half of the imported fuel sold on by criminal networks at private profit.
The Libyan National Oil Corporation's (NOC) decision to swap plentiful crude oil for imported refined fuel has been at the heart of the scandal. The report claims that the NOC's chairperson, Farhat Bengdara, introduced a system whereby Libyan crude oil was swapped for imported fuel, which was then resold abroad at vast profit.
Sentry estimates that over $6.7 billion-worth of fuel was smuggled out of the country in 2024 alone, enough to more than triple Libya's spending on healthcare and education. The report suggests that the smuggling not only deprived the Central Bank of Libya of crucial dollar revenues but also undermined the integrity of the NOC.
The scandal has had far-reaching consequences for the Libyan people, with domestic shortages forcing citizens to pay much higher prices at unofficial outlets. The report calls for a Western-backed investigation into the Libyan oil officials and international help to ensure that Libya's own investigative bodies identify those responsible for siphoning massive wealth from the population.
Bengdara has denied claims of corruption, stating that he remained transparent and proactive during his tenure as NOC chairperson. However, Sentry's report paints a damning picture of a systematic strategy to plunder Libya's resources, with politicians working alongside foreign states to reap massive profits at the expense of the nation's taxpayers.
A shocking report by the Sentry investigative body reveals that Libya's fuel smuggling industry has cost the country an astonishing $20 billion over three years, with state-sanctioned smuggling orchestrated by politicians and security leaders who claim to serve the public. The scandal has been described as a "sheer scale" of corruption, with politicians working alongside foreign states to plunder the nation's primary revenue source.
The report cites a surge in fuel imports between 2022 and 2024, which rose from around 20.4 million litres per day in early 2021 to over 41 million litres per day by late 2024. The increase was not justified by genuine domestic demand for refined petrol, with more than half of the imported fuel sold on by criminal networks at private profit.
The Libyan National Oil Corporation's (NOC) decision to swap plentiful crude oil for imported refined fuel has been at the heart of the scandal. The report claims that the NOC's chairperson, Farhat Bengdara, introduced a system whereby Libyan crude oil was swapped for imported fuel, which was then resold abroad at vast profit.
Sentry estimates that over $6.7 billion-worth of fuel was smuggled out of the country in 2024 alone, enough to more than triple Libya's spending on healthcare and education. The report suggests that the smuggling not only deprived the Central Bank of Libya of crucial dollar revenues but also undermined the integrity of the NOC.
The scandal has had far-reaching consequences for the Libyan people, with domestic shortages forcing citizens to pay much higher prices at unofficial outlets. The report calls for a Western-backed investigation into the Libyan oil officials and international help to ensure that Libya's own investigative bodies identify those responsible for siphoning massive wealth from the population.
Bengdara has denied claims of corruption, stating that he remained transparent and proactive during his tenure as NOC chairperson. However, Sentry's report paints a damning picture of a systematic strategy to plunder Libya's resources, with politicians working alongside foreign states to reap massive profits at the expense of the nation's taxpayers.
like, what even happens to all that money? You'd think some of it would go towards fixing the country's infrastructure or helping people who actually need help. But nope, it gets siphoned off by corrupt officials and foreign states, leaving Libya with nothing but a huge hole in its budget. And now they're saying the NOC chairperson is denying all this? 
like, come on, don't try to spin this one, dude! The numbers just add up - 41 million litres of fuel per day?! That's insane! What's next, smuggling gold or something? 
But seriously, if politicians are working with foreign states to line their pockets, that's corruption on a massive scale 
. It's not like Libya's been doing great since the war anyway 
so maybe this isn't the end of the world... but still, it's crazy to think that some folks have been making millions off the backs of their own people 
! $20 billion is like, totally mind-blowing! I mean, what's going on in Libya, right? 
It's not just about corrupt politicians and security leaders, it's also about how they're working with foreign states to get rich off the country's resources. And it gets even worse – they're using the NOC to swap Libyan crude oil for imported fuel, which is then resold abroad at a huge profit! 
it gets worse they r sellin all this imported fuel on black market 4 huge profits while lybians r struggling w domestic shortages & higher prices 
and now Sentry is calling 4 a western-backed investigation lol like it's about time we need 2 know who r behind these shady deals 
. and the worst part is, it's not like they're hiding it or anything, Sentry just came out with this report and now everyone knows. it's gonna be super tough for Libya to recover from this 
.
. I feel bad for the Libyan people, they're already dealing with a lot of issues. Can't believe politicians and security leaders are involved in this too 
The fact that over half of the imported fuel is sold on by criminal networks at private profit is just heartbreaking 
We need a Western-backed investigation ASAP to hold these officials accountable and bring them to justice 
$20 billion gone down the drain because of fuel smuggling? that's just mind-blowing... i mean i know corruption exists everywhere but this is just staggering. it's like they're sucking the life out of the country and no one's doing anything about it 
it's just so much corruption in one country 
... Sentry should really investigate more ASAP