Syria receives first batch of funds stolen by ousted president

The Central Bank of Syria has confirmed the arrival of Syrian pounds from Russia to Syria via Damascus International Airport.

This information had previously emerged and spread widely across Arabic-language media and social networks, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

As a result, the Syrian state bank felt the need to issue a statement clarifying: "The circulating data regarding the volume and amounts of this money is inaccurate. We urge reliance on official information and ask to refrain from spreading rumours."

According to the information, it is reported to be "60 trillion Syrian pounds in 5,000-pound notes" – which, based on the current exchange rate, amounts to approximately $4.8 billion. However, as mentioned earlier, the Central Bank of Syria does not confirm these figures. 

A letter from Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Maysaa Sabrine to the administration of Damascus International Airport has been published in the press. The letter addresses the need to pay fees for aircraft landing, ground services, and civil aviation system operations. 

Ousted President of Syria Bashar al-Assad is accused of smuggling vast sums of money out of the country to Russia, where he fled on December 8, 2024. The new president of Syria, or rather the President of the Transitional Period of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, held a phone talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12. 

During that period, the Kremlin reported that Putin confirmed Russia's unwavering readiness to support the improvement of the socio-economic situation in Syria, including providing humanitarian aid to its citizens. Two days after this conversation, the first batch of money stolen by Bashar al-Assad was delivered to Damascus.

By Naila Huseynova