USA to Toyota: How Is ISIS Getting Your Trucks, SUVs?

Many videos and images uploaded to the Internet show what appear to be ISIS fighters staging operations using both “newer and older model” Toyota trucks.

“The show’s producers bought an 18-year-old Hilux diesel with 190,000 miles on the odometer for $1,500”, Somaiya wrote for Newsweek.

Any efforts to trace how the Toyota vehicles end up in the hands of ISIS have proven hard to Iraq and US officials.

In addition to the imposing visuals of black flags and flashing lights, the cars in the above ISIS propaganda video all have one thing in common: they are all Toyota’s.

Even though the brand is popular among rebel groups, Toyota has maintained a strict policy about not selling their vehicles to buyers who may modify them for terrorist activities.

ABC News reported that Toyota claims that it does not know how IS obtained the vehicles but is “supporting” the probe, which is part of a larger initiative to prevent IS from getting ahold of Western-manufactured goods.

Here’s an idea: let’s bomb these convoys of Toyota vehicles and then check the VIN numbers. In another report, Australia newspaper said that more than 800 trucks were missing in Sidney in 2014 and 2015, and added that terror experts speculated that the cars were sold to ISIS. However, United States officials don’t seem to believe that ISIS is using so many Toyota’s in order to take advantage of the brand’s terrific fuel economy and will continue the investigation. In a Vice News documentary that was filmed inside the group’s de-facto capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa, anti-aircraft guns are seen mounted on the backs of Toyota Hiluxes pickup trucks.

The Hilux is a Toyota truck model sold overseas that’s similar to the Tacoma, ABC explains.

“Our understanding is that Treasury has been conducting a broad review of supply chains and the flow of goods into the Middle East, including financial institutions, manufacturers, and energy companies”.

While Toyota likely never “intentionally profited” from the terrorists, they are now aware of the problem and should do more to halt ISIS’ acquisitions, Wallace said. In the wake of the controversy, Toyota said in a statement that it can’t control if its vehicles are re-sold or stolen after they leave its dealership shops.

The former owners, a Saudi company called Abdul Latif Jameel, said it “made the decision to cease all trading activities in the country and fully divested the business in October, 2012”, according to a spokesperson.

The US Treasury declined to comment on Wednesday on any specific inquiry.