A member of State Security in Lebanon. (Credit: NNA)
The Baabda office of Lebanon’s State Security announced Thursday that a man known as ‘Abou Jad’ was arrested near Beirut airport for his alleged involvement in a prostitution network operating between the southern suburbs of Beirut and Jounieh.
“In the framework of its ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and protect society from dangerous scourges, the General Directorate of State Security – Baabda Office arrested on Aug. 28 the Lebanese man (H.Y.), nicknamed Abou Jad, in the area known as Tiro, located on the Choueifat road near Beirut airport, for managing prostitution networks operating between the southern suburbs of Beirut and Jounieh. He is reportedly subject to an outstanding arrest warrant and an investigation for the same offense, as is his accomplice (J.I.), nicknamed Zouzou Nazira, who is already in detention,” the agency said in a statement published Saturday.
The statement added that legal measures have been taken against the offender on the instructions of the competent judge.
Crackdown in Dora and Maameltein
This arrest comes after a crackdown conducted on Aug. 22 and 23 by the General Security against a prostitution network active in Dora (northern Beirut) and Maameltein, which led to the arrest of 26 suspects of different nationalities.
In a Lebanon in crisis, prostitution has regained momentum after being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Lebanese pound. Clandestine prostitution is prohibited under Lebanese law. According to Article 523 of the Penal Code, “any person who practices or facilitates secret prostitution shall be sentenced” to imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of two to four times the minimum wage.
