Al-Rukban camp | Fuel and foodstuff prices hike due to monopoly by Regime traders and imposing levies by regime checkpoints

Syrian Observatory sources have reported that Al-Rukban camp in the Syrian desert, located on Syria’s eastern border with Jordan and Iraq, is witnessing a dramatic rise in food prices, due to conflicts between traders affiliated with regime security services.

According to Syrian Observatory sources, the conflicts among the merchants led to a monopoly on the introduction of foodstuffs and fuel coming from regime-controlled areas to only two traders, one of which is operating under the banner of “Air Force Intelligence” and the second trader is affiliated with the “Military Intelligence Branch.” These two traders are now controlling the prices of food and fuel in the camp.

Moreover, the prices of fuel and foodstuffs are soaring due to another reason which is that the members of checkpoints of “Fourth Division,” led by Maher Al-Assad, the brother of Syrian president, have imposed levies on all cars loaded with goods and oil derivatives. The members of Fourth Divition stationed at checkpoints take at least one million Syrian pounds per car.

It is worth noting that Al-Rukban camp that hosts 11,000 displaced Syrians from several regions of Syria, has been turned into a forgotten “large prison” in the Syrian desert in 55-kilometre zone in the vicinity of the international coalition’s Al-Tanaf base, in the desert at Syria-Iraq-Jordan border triangle.