Wooden tables in which hashish had been hidden. (Credit: ISF website)
BEIRUT — Security forces at Beirut's international airport halted an attempt to export more than 14kg of hashish hidden inside three wooden tables, police reported Thursday.
The shipment was reportedly bound for The Netherlands. The Anti-Narcotics Bureau arrested two men, of Lebanese nationality, suspected of being behind the attempted smuggling operation and seized the drugs.
In a statement, the ISF said it arrested two suspects, aged 26 and 29, on Feb. 27 for concealing 14.38kg of hashish in traditional-style furniture.
The ISF released a video showing the moment the drugs were found in the three pieces of furniture.
The arrest, based on information obtained by the police, took place as the suspects were dropping off their package at the freight shipping company at Beirut's airport.
Lebanese authorities have stepped up their efforts to combat drug trafficking in the country after Gulf countries imposed security restrictions on Lebanese exports following the seizure of several shipments of Captagon more than a year ago.
Only last week, the ISF had already foiled an attempted drug delivery inside the Batroun prison in northern Lebanon. Captagon pills were reportedly hidden in sunflower seeds destined for a prisoner.
On Monday, the police also announced that they had foiled two drug smuggling operations in which they had seized 960,000 Captagon pills, as well as 208kg of hashish.
Last November, more than five million pills of Captagon were intercepted by the ISF in Ghazieh, South Lebanon and the previous month, Lebanese customs seized some 160,000 pills of the drug destined for Oman via the Qatari capital Doha.