A Lebanese Army patrol in Tripoli. (Credit: AFP/Archives)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army has arrested a Lebanese citizen in Wadi Khaled for his alleged involvement in smuggling people across the Lebanon-Syria border, the army announced on Thursday.
"Within the framework of combatting people smuggling and illegal infiltration, an army unit in the al-Baqi'a area of Wadi Khaled arrested a citizen (K.A.) for his involvement with others in smuggling people across the land border, and seized a weapon, ammunition and cell phones that he possessed," the army's statement reads.
The army added that the "seized items were handed over and the investigation was initiated with the detainee under the supervision of the judiciary."
During the past few weeks, the Lebanese Army reported preventing thousands of Syrians from illegally entering Lebanon.
There are many people and drug smuggling networks that operate on the porous border between Lebanon and Syria.
According to official estimates, Lebanon hosts 2 million Syrian refugees, of whom nearly 830,000 are registered with the UN.