Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad allegedly had taken $135 billion to Russia before the man was spirited to Moscow under extremely heavy security, a former intelligence officer of the now-fallen regime has claimed.

According to Khalid Beyye speaking in the Turkish newspaper Turkiye Gazetesi, Assad could manage to "smuggle out" the humongous sum of money from Syria. Yet he did not reveal how a transfer of such enormous money happened. The newspaper referred to Assad as "the richest refugee in the world".

How did Assad escape Syria?

There has been a mystery over the exit of Assad. On Sunday, it emerged that a plane associated with the Syrian president took off from the capital and reportedly flew toward Syria's coastal region. Then, the aircraft changed course and disappeared from radar.

This triggered fierce speculation about what really happened. Some reports suggested the plane's transponder was probably turned off deliberately, while others speculated that the aircraft was shot down. Later, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Assad had arrived in Moscow accompanied by his family.

"He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation," Ryabkov told NBC News in an interview on Tuesday. He declined to provide further details, saying, "It would be very wrong for me to elaborate on what happened and how it was resolved."

The Assad regime collapsed in a matter of days after an offensive led by an Islamist-backed rebel force ended his family's five-decade rule in Syria. The country is now ruled by a transitional government headed by Mohammed al-Bashir, a leader who enjoys the support of several rebel groups.

During Assad’s 20 years in power, his rule was marred by serious allegations of war crimes, including the use of chemical weapons, systematic torture, and brutal crackdowns on opposition groups. His downfall has brought an end to a reign widely condemned by the international community.

Details of his escape remain sketchy, but news of his transferring billions to Russia and seeking asylum in Moscow has raised numerous questions about the future of Syria and the role of Russia in this.