The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced on Tuesday that it had dismantled, last August, a network of Syrian counterfeiters specializing in forging official Lebanese and Syrian stamps.
According to the statement, the ISF’s intelligence bureau had received information that members of the network were obtaining official documents from intermediaries or translation offices to stamp them with forged seals.
The investigation found that the counterfeiting operation was being run out of an auto repair garage in Ouzai, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, managed by a Syrian national. The forged documents were later returned to their owners to be submitted to embassies, the statement added.
On August 7, ISF intelligence officers raided the garage, arresting two Syrians, including the garage owner. Their identities were not disclosed. “Six forged seals were seized, along with a sum of money and numerous official documents, including powers of attorney, notarized certificates, university transcripts, civil registry extracts, criminal records, and other administrative papers in the names of several individuals,” the statement said.
During questioning, the first suspect admitted to owning the garage and said he had rented it out to a Syrian national identified as K.D., who works as a facilitator for consular services for Syrian citizens. He also claimed that all the seized seals and documents belonged to K.D. The suspect further named two other Syrian accomplices and acknowledged receiving payments in exchange for carrying out certain procedures.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities seek to arrest the other individuals involved.
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