Former Syrian intelligence chief Housam Louka located in Russia

Housam Louka, the former head of Syria’s General Security Directorate and a close aide of Bashar al‑Assad, was tracked by the BBC after months of investigation and found near Moscow. Known by the nickname “the Spider” for his extensive network of informants, Louka is accused of serious human‑rights violations, torture and war crimes during the Syrian civil war and has been sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Investigators uncovered a notebook in a deserted luxury flat in Damascus that listed 155 phone numbers of contacts ranging from doctors to military officers. BBC journalists called each number; 51 were still active but all calls were either unanswered or terminated when the interviewers identified themselves. The phone‑directory search helped confirm Louka’s presence in Russia following the ouster of President Assad in December 2024.