Army announces destruction of cannabis fields in Baalbeck region

The Lebanese Army said Wednesday that an army unit, backed by the Directorate of Intelligence, destroyed seven dunams (about 7,000 square meters) of cannabis crops in the village of Zarazir in the Baalbeck region. The operation was part of its campaign against drug trafficking, the army said in a post on its X account.

In the same statement, the army said another unit, also accompanied by intelligence services, raided homes of wanted individuals in Baalbeck’s Sharawneh neighborhood. Troops seized equipment used to produce Captagon, a quantity of cannabis, and other material.

The statement added that the patrol came under fire from the suspects during the raid and returned fire. No casualties were reported. The seized items were handed over to the judiciary, and an investigation is underway to track down the shooters, the army said.

Raids in Sharawneh are common, as the neighborhood is considered a stronghold for drug traffickers. On Aug. 6, the army killed one of the country’s most notorious traffickers, known as Abou Salleh, along with two of his associates.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday it had seized 60 kilograms of cannabis at the Lebanese border, according to Syrian state media outlet Al Ekhbariya. The drugs were about to be smuggled into Syria’s Nabak region near the village of Flita, the outlet reported on its X account.

The ministry said clashes broke out during the operation, but the smugglers fled back into Lebanon. The drugs were seized in full and a report was filed. Authorities said an investigation is underway to identify the traffickers.