View of the village of Bzal in North Lebanon. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today.)
NORTH LEBANON — A serving mukhtar from Telhamira, in Akkar, North Lebanon, was arrested Thursday by State Security, for alleged acts of arms smuggling, tobacco smuggling, and human trafficking, according to a statement from the institution and information from our local correspondent.
According to State Security, a patrol arrested a suspect, identified by the initials M.M., in al-Hissa, Akkar, who "confessed to arms trafficking." This man also revealed that the mukhtar of Telhamira had bought from him. Consequently, security forces arrested this local official, who "confessed to human trafficking, cigarette smuggling, and agricultural fertilizer trafficking."
Our correspondent specifies that the mukhtar is identified by the initials A.B., and he is the subject of judicial proceedings.
Mukhtars, local officials in charge of matters related to civil status, were just elected during the municipal vote last month, held on May 11 in the North.