A suspicious truck controlled by the Lebanese Army in Batroun, May 20, 2024. (Photo taken from the army's X account)
BEIRUT — Between Monday and Tuesday alone, the Lebanese Army seized two trucks carrying over 700 illegal firearms, brought into Lebanon through the port of Tripoli, highlighting the extent to which illegal weapons are entering and moving through the country.
The latest events are particularly alarming when cast against the backdrop of Lebanon’s instability, economically and security-wise, compounded by corruption, increased political polarization, and the ongoing war in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
The seizure of the two trucks and the revelations that ensued have caused a public uproar, particularly among Christian factions.
It all started on Monday, when a truck caught fire on the highway connecting Tripoli to Beirut, specifically near Batroun, close to Kfarabida. Civil Defense units were dispatched to extinguish the fire, and in doing so, discovered the stockpile of pistols. The teams contacted the army and security services, who shut down the area upon arrival.
The truck and its hidden ammunition were taken to a military facility for inspection. Its driver and several other suspects were arrested. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the army said 304 pistols were found hidden somewhere near the truck’s engine.
"The intelligence services have arrested multiple suspects involved in this smuggling operation," the text continued, noting that the army also searched all other trucks loaded with cargo from the same shipment, but found nothing suspicious.
"Six more trucks were detained nationwide, including in Zouk Mosbeh, but their loads were not problematic," a security source said.
The same source revealed that the driver of the truck that caught fire was Turkish, and the cargo he was transporting originated from Turkey. The weapons had been ordered by an arms dealer living in a Palestinian refugee camp, operating beyond the reach of the security agencies.
Illegal firearms seized by the army on May 20, 2024. Photo drawn from the troop account
The next day, another truckload of smuggled weapons was seized by the army, this time in the port of Tripoli itself. According to a security source, this second shipment, which contained approximately 400 revolvers, was part of the same transaction as the load of 304 pistols intercepted on Monday.
“Authorities tracked this shipment following the interrogation of suspects arrested on Monday," the source said, adding that an investigation is ongoing in the attempt to dismantle the smuggling network.
More questions than answers
"Regarding these weapons-laden trucks traveling from North to South Lebanon, to whom do they belong? Who brings them in, and for what purpose?" questioned Samy Gemayel, MP for Metn and leader of the Kataeb Party, on X. "As long as Lebanon is run by militias and the state coexists with them, or even submits to them, Lebanese citizens will wake up to similar news every day," he said, taking a dig at Hezbollah.
On Sunday evening, armed men in a Chevrolet Camaro fired shots into the air near the Kataeb headquarters in Saifi, which Gemayel's opposition party interpreted as a message of intimidation. "We're not accusing anyone. But everyone knows who is carrying weapons today,” party spokesperson Patrick Richa told L’Orient-Le Jour.
Echoes of Kahaleh
MP Ghayath Yazbeck (Batroun), a member of the Lebanese Forces bloc, echoed Gemayel's concern.
"This is a very bad sign. These weapons are imported from Turkey to be sold on the Lebanese market, especially in Palestinian refugee camps," he claimed. “They are sold at very low prices compared to regular revolvers, sometimes for a hundred dollars."
Illegal weapons move easily through Palestinian refugee camps, which are often the scene of violent confrontations between gangs or political factions.
"Lebanese citizens seeking to acquire pistols and ammunition without permits and at lower costs can also benefit from certain smugglers' 'services' within the camps," said the security source. However, Yazbeck added, "Not only does this contribute to security chaos, creating a real pandemic of firearms, but these poorly manufactured pistols can also cause accidents."
The events of the last two days are reminiscent of last year’s Kahaleh episode, when a truck belonging to Hezbollah rolled over on a sharp turn of a steep mountain road, revealing its cargo and sparking a clash between residents of the Christian town and members of the party. Two people were killed and fears rose of a wider conflict.
Some claimed the cargo was headed from Damascus to Beirut, ultimately destined for the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Saida, where violent clashes between Hamas-affiliated groups and their rival Fatah were ongoing. "Like in Kahaleh, this illegal weapons shipment was discovered by chance," Yazbeck said. "God knows how many similar trucks are out there."