According to Trud newspaper, Russian and US special services have provided Bulgaria with relevant satellite imagery to prove these claims. Using these photographs, the country’s authorities have managed to uncover an illegal supply route for diesel and gasoline through the Bulgarian ports of Varna and Burgas, the paper said.
The fuel found in Bulgaria is reportedly one of a number of Daesh supply routes to the European Union.
Electronic maritime traffic management systems have observed several tankers stopping in seven Turkish ports on the Black and Mediterranean seas to load fuel before traveling to harbors in Greece and Bulgaria, the media outlet reported.
In light of this information, the Bulgarian security forces have started a large-scale inspection of gas stations throughout the country, the publication said. Over 50 facilities are being monitored, although the link to Daesh has not yet been officially confirmed, the paper reported, citing sources in the authorities.
According to information provided by the outlet’s source, the smuggled oil products are of relatively low quality, deviating from EU standards by 20-40 percent for gasoline and 35-70 percent for diesel fuel.
Daesh, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries, controls large swaths of land in oil-rich Syria and Iraq. In late 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry presented evidence showing that the jihadist group has been smuggling oil across the Syrian-Turkish border in large volumes.
According to Russian envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin, illicit exports of Daesh oil, primary via Turkey, allows it on average to generate approximately $1.5 million in revenue every day.