Drugs hidden in sachets of Zaatar, Sumac and Kechek in Beirut.Photo published on March 27, 2024 on the FSI website
BEIRUT — Lebanese police foiled a drug trafficking operation by seizing almost 150 kilograms of hashish keif (a condensed form of cannabis) hidden in bags of za'atar (a mixture of thyme and spices), sumac, and keshek (a fermented yogurt powder, mixed with wheat, ground and dried). The bust was announced on Wednesday by the Internal Security Forces (ISF), who didn't specify the exact date of the seizure.
The ISF "obtained reliable information" about a network that was preparing to traffic a quantity of hashish hidden in a shipment of the staple Lebanese pantry supplies and destined for an unspecified European country, according to the statement.
The smuggling operation was interrupted before the delivery even arrived Beirut International Airport. "The warehouse where the shipment was hidden in Beirut was identified" and a search was carried out, the ISF explained. The search resulted in the seizure of around 148 kilograms of the drug hidden in the bags. The investigation is still ongoing in an attempt to track down and arrest people involved in the network established for distributing hashish, which is considered illegal in Lebanon.
The Lebanese authorities claim to be doubling-down in their efforts to combat drug trafficking in Lebanon and abroad, a practice regularly denounced as insufficient by the Gulf States, which have often intercepted the transport of drugs, especially the highly addictive Captagon, en route from Lebanon to other countries.