Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar announced Monday that Lebanese authorities had thwarted a large-scale drug smuggling attempt involving 6.5 million Captagon pills and 700 kilograms of hashish, destined for Saudi Arabia via Beirut Port.
Speaking during a visit to the Internal Security Forces’ (ISF) Information Branch headquarters in Sahet al-Abed, Hajjar praised the unit’s “quiet but effective” operations in recent months.
He noted that security forces had carried out numerous arrests tied to terrorism, espionage for Israel, and other criminal activity. “Individuals and small groups seeking to embrace extremist ideology were also arrested,” he said.
Hajjar emphasized that his visit aimed to recognize the ISF’s efforts and effectiveness, pointing to the latest operation that dismantled an international smuggling network.
The group, which maintained contacts in Turkey and Jordan, had been under surveillance before its leader and several members were arrested. “The operation was intercepted before reaching Beirut Port. Thanks to local intelligence, the Information Branch seized the Captagon shipment and apprehended the network’s head and associates simultaneously,” he explained.
When asked about reports of a Hezbollah cell being arrested in Syria, Hajjar replied, “We have not been informed of this.”
The minister stressed that political authorities were fully backing security agencies, enabling them to conduct preemptive operations.
“No one is above the law, and crime knows no region, identity, or sect. Combating drugs is a comprehensive effort across all Lebanese territory, and the dismantled network had clear international dimensions,” he said.
Hajjar also revealed that the Lebanese Army (LAF) recently dismantled a drug factory, adding that the seized narcotics may be remnants of operations tied to the former Syrian regime.
He concluded by affirming that security agencies remain vigilant: “There is no room for collaborators in Lebanon, and anyone who violates the law will face prosecution before the competent judiciary.”
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