A round table held in the Grand Serial and chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on activating supply chain security in Lebanon, March 10, 2023. (Credit: Grand Serial media office)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired a round table event at the Grand Serail Friday, where he said the country was launching a project to combat trafficking of drugs and contraband via Lebanese ports, according to a statement from his media office.
"Lebanon's relations with many countries, especially the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been shaken over the past years due to very serious abuses that have been paid for dearly, and we will not allow them to be repeated," Mikati was quoted as saying.
Lebanese authorities in recent months have stepped up efforts to combat drug trafficking after Gulf countries imposed security restrictions on Lebanese exports following the seizure of several shipments of Captagon more than a year ago.
Restoring full exports
Mikati said at Friday's round table that tighter supply chain security would be implemented through a "container control program," which would examine exported and imported containers and ensure "they are safe and free of contraband."
Following these inspections, "Lebanon will be able to restore the full movement of its exports, especially fruits and vegetables, to the Arab markets, especially the Gulf countries," Friday's statement added.
Mostly produced in Syria, Captagon has made that country the world's newest narco-state. Trade in the drug has taken deep root in neighboring Lebanon amid its collapsing economy. Captagon has spread across the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia the largest market.
Saudi Arabia suspended the import of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon in April 2021, following the discovery of more than five million Captagon pills hidden in inbound Lebanese fruit.
"Through the principle of interagency cooperation with which the program is concerned, Lebanon is sending a clear message that it prioritizes the fight against corruption," Mikati said Friday.
"Our commitment to improving border security and contributing to stability in the region will send a strong signal to the international community that will help us seek economic advancement through negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and international partners."
'Great importance'
The UN's regional drugs and crime (UNODC) representative Christina Albertin was also present at the Friday meeting.
Quoted in Mikati's press office statement, Albertin said the round table was of "great importance," citing "difficult means" to intercept drug smuggling worldwide "due to the volume of sea container traffic, with about 750 million containers shipped annually in the commercial supply chain, accompanied by complex routes."
Earlier this month, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi reiterated Lebanon's commitment to the fight against drug trafficking. He addressed his comments to Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, during a meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud al-Saud, on the sidelines of a conference of Arab interior ministers in Tunisia.