Lebanese soldiers deployed in Kfar Shuba, southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, on June 9, 2023. (Credit: Nabil Ismail/File photo)
BEIRUT — Authorities on Monday rescued a Lebanese woman and her Syrian husband a week after a criminal gang posing as people smugglers allegedly kidnapped the couple for ransom. The Lebanese Army announced in a statement Tuesday that the couple was freed by patrols from the Intelligence Directorate.
"The gang had lured them from the Sabtieh area in Mount Lebanon to the [Lebanese-Syrian] border, deceiving them into believing they were traveling abroad through illegal routes. They threatened them with death and demanded a ransom for their release. An investigation has been initiated, and efforts are underway to apprehend the members of the gang," the statement explained.
L'Orient Today was unable to reach the Lebanese army for further comments on the matter at the time of publication of this article.
Attempts to emigrate illegally from Lebanon have multiplied in recent years, while the country has been in the grip of a severe economic crisis for over four years.
In October, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced they had arrested two men affiliated with a human trafficking network that organizes irregular emigration from Libya to Europe.
