A suspected drug trafficker arrested by the ISF on the road to Beirut airport. (Photo from the ISF website)
A man in his thirties was arrested by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) on the airport road, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, for suspected drug trafficking, police announced on Thursday.
In a statement, the ISF said that the 34-year-old culprit had a prior criminal record related to drug and ammunition trafficking. The arrest follows an investigation that led to his arrest on June 24 while he was driving a motorcycle without a license plate in which he was transporting narcotics.
During the arrest, the ISF seized nearly one kilogram of hashish and approximately 260 grams of cocaine divided into small bags and capsules. During the interrogation, the suspect confessed to being involved in drug trafficking, adding that he sent the money from his transactions to the Shatila camp, according to the police. He was subsequently transferred to court.
Lebanese authorities have stepped up efforts in recent years to combat drug trafficking within the country, or in transit, and regularly announce the arrest of suspects and the seizure of narcotics.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
