Media sources loyal to the Syrian regime revealed two books issued by the Minister of Internal Trade of the regime, Amr Salem, requesting to disclose the theft and embezzlement of large quantities of sugar and rice from the Syrian allocations for trade by the company "Across the East", which is owned by businessman Tarif Al-Akhras, uncle of the wife of Syrian regime’s president.

In the letter addressed to the Directorate of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection in Homs, the ministry ordered to refer the seizures and violations committed against Tarif al-Akhras to the competent judiciary and follow up with it, after mentioning a series of violations that were seized in his warehouses.

The ministry accused "Across the East" Company of stealing and embezzling imported white sugar for the Syrian Trade for trading it for other than its intended purpose.

It stated that during a tour of the supply patrols at “Across the East” warehouses in August, quantities of sugar were seized in two company warehouses packed with bags bearing the phrase “Origin of Algeria” where the sugar is unloaded and transferred to bags bearing the “Across the East” brand with different production dates than the actual dates.

And Tarif Al-Akhras is currently considered one of the most prominent businessmen in Syria.

It almost completely controls the import of sugar and sunflower oil.

He owns a factory for refining and manufacturing white sugar.

He also owns, with his sons, a factory for pressing and refining olive oil and producing raw and imported vegetable oils.

He also established companies working in several investment fields, such as real estate, banking, insurance companies and land transport.

The Ministry of Finance, according to what was monitored by the Syrian event website, had issued a decision to reserve the movable and immovable funds of more than 650 traders in Aleppo on charges of tax evasion a few days ago, some of which included the most loyal traders to the regime.