Journalists Locate Former Assad Spy Chief Living in Hiding

BBC journalists have tracked down a senior Syrian intelligence official, known by the nickname 'The Spider,' who was once among the most feared figures in Assad's security apparatus. The investigation relied on unconventional methods, including the use of a phone directory, to locate the spy chief's current whereabouts. The individual had gone into hiding following the collapse or weakening of Assad's regime in Syria. The search highlights how former Syrian security officials have sought to disappear from public view amid ongoing scrutiny of human rights abuses. The BBC's findings shed light on the fate of key figures who ran Syria's feared intelligence network.