Full control

Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat, writes:

Talk in Syria is that a government-sponsored money laundering commission has unleashed a wave of investigations on 29 major business elites, including Dureid Assad, Jaber , Hamsho and most significantly Rami Makhlouf himself and his family (his brothers and his father).

Reports are that Rami Makhlouf’s offices at the free zone were raided by the money laundering commission. The scope of the investigations has sent shockwaves into Latakia too. Hamsho’s tender with the Education Ministry is supposedly under investigation

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Analysis:

1. The Assad regime is a big mafia and the the fight within the family was expected
2. Assad does not want any center of power within his inner circle.
3. All the businesspeople who are now under house arrest have created and sponsored local militias in the past 8 years. Some of these militias started challenging Assad forces, especially in Latakia and Hama. 
4. The regime may feel more confident to do such big step against the warlords after winning in Idlib. This step could be encouraged and/or pushed by Russia to counter Iranian economic influence.
5. aSnctioning of Samer Foz was a clear message for the regime that his investments and assets outside Syria by using businesspeople as cover do not help or provide protection. So he is burning all the known names and their affiliations to make it harder for the West to sanction the new faces.
6. Asaad wants to send the message that he and his family are in full control.