Khaberni - The Syrian Ministry of Justice stated today, Tuesday, that "the competent investigating judge has issued a decision to refer the accused Waseem Badee' Al-Assad to the Referral Judge in preparation for his trial," noting at the same time that "the decision comes within the framework of transitional justice and emphasizes the principle of transparency and judicial accountability to uphold the rule of law."
Waseem Al-Assad, born in 1980, was known as one of the most prominent drug dealers in Syria during the rule of the previous regime, where he was a cousin of the deposed President Bashar Al-Assad, known for trafficking in Captagon and smuggling operations on the Syrian-Lebanese borders, and his name was linked to several crimes against civilians, especially in Latakia, and he is on the US and European sanctions lists.
After the launch of the "Deterrence of Aggression" operation by the armed opposition, which led to the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime a year ago, Waseem Al-Assad announced on the first of the same month via his personal Facebook page about the preparation of what he called "support and protection groups for the Latakia governorate and its countryside to complement the army and the forces operating on the front lines."
The Syrian security agencies revealed the arrival of Israeli spying devices to Syria in late April 2025, within shipments of solar energy supplies entered through the port of Latakia and the Al-Masna border crossing with Lebanon, and media reports at the time stated that Waseem Al-Assad was related to this operation.
Syria TV stated that the shipment was intended for importers close to the Fourth Division, which was under the command of Maher Al-Assad, in addition to others linked to Waseem Al-Assad.
After the fall of Assad's regime, the Syrian government launched extensive inspections across the country to arrest criminals from the previous regime's era, managing to arrest Waseem Al-Assad on June 21, 2025, and the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced his apprehension in cooperation with the Syrian intelligence agency.
The ministry said in a statement that "in the context of a tight security operation, the General Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with the competent authorities in the Ministry of Interior, managed to lure the criminal Waseem Al-Assad, who is considered one of the most prominent drug dealers and involved in several crimes during the era of the defunct regime."
The statement added that the operation was carried out through a tight ambush that resulted in his arrest, in the ministry's pursuit of achieving justice and combating crime.
