Drain on Syrian finances :: Gulf News
Shoots self in foot

I love these sorts of stories. No doubt the neo-cons in the White House to blame somehow. Perhaps they're helping facilitate this cross border trade: Quote,

Damascus: Syria is struggling to ease chronic petrol and diesel shortages caused by rampant smuggling to neighbouring countries amid soaring world oil prices.

Smugglers have been cashing in on the wide disparity between state-subsidised fuel in oil-producing Syria and high prices in its oil-importing neighbours; Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

"There is a huge price differential so we are finding weak souls [nee, arbitrageurs] anxious to smuggle and rob public funds and ordinary people," Oil Minister Ebrahim Haddad was recently quoted as saying in the local state press.
. . .
Figures released by the oil ministry show an 8 per cent rise in diesel supplied to petrol stations by the end of July.

Gasoline consumption rose 14 per cent by July this year compared to the same period of the previous year, they showed.

Energy officials say plans to reduce gasoline and diesel imports require extra refining capacity, now around 250,000 bpd, and increased natural gas production.

Hoarding
Towards a thriving black market

Local papers in Syria carry comments from frustrated locals complaining about shortages that have driven them to hoarding and fed a thriving black market.

They report the ingenuity of smugglers along the border with Lebanon, citing one racket that used a three km pipe from a hilltop to send diesel to the other side of the border.

"The problem is being exacerbated by petrol station owners who are smuggling diesel at night to commission agents and smugglers," said Mohammad Omran, a businessmen from the northern coastal town of Tartous said.