An illegal gas station in the Masharii al-Qaa border region, in eastern Bekaa. (Credit: Lebanese Army's X account.)
The Lebanese Army announced Sunday that it had arrested three individuals — whose nationalities were not specified — on suspicion of fuel trafficking, after a raid on several illegal gas stations used for smuggling, in the border region of Masharii al-Qaa in eastern Bekaa.
The troops seized equipment as well as a large stock of gasoline and diesel fuel.
The Lebanese Army deployed heavily at the border between Lebanon and Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, in an attempt to address issues related to the porous border in the fight against smuggling and trafficking at Lebanon's northern and eastern borders. In February and March, clashes linked to smuggling operations pitted Syrian security forces against Lebanese Shiite clan leaders living near the border.
The troops had closed several illegal crossings in the Masharii al-Qaa region in mid-July. These routes were widely used for trafficking goods, fuel and people.
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