Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar. (Credit: NNA.)
BEIRUT — Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar announced Thursday that the seizure on Tuesday at the Port of Tripoli, in North Lebanon, of 125 kilograms of cocaine is the largest quantity of cocaine ever smuggled into the country, with a value of $15 million.
In a brief interview with the Saudi channel al-Arabiya, which reached him by phone, the minister also reaffirmed "close cooperation with Saudi Arabia" in the fight against smuggling, emphasizing that "other operations [with the Gulf kingdom] are still underway to intercept drug networks."
"We have seized the largest quantity of cocaine ever smuggled into Lebanon on a ship coming from Brazil to the port of Tripoli," Minister Hajjar announced Tuesday at a press conference.
"During this operation, the anti-narcotics bureau seized 125 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil via Amman, hidden in 10 professionally camouflaged drums, among a total of 840 drums containing oils and fats. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with this operation and other accomplices are being pursued," he added, noting that an investigation is underway.
Hajjar had already thanked Saudi Arabia for "its efforts and coordination." "We are working hard with all the resources at our disposal. We will not allow Lebanon to become a route for drug smuggling," he said.
Lebanese authorities have recently ramped up the fight against drug trafficking, which has triggered a political and diplomatic crisis with Gulf countries over the past few years.
At the end of August, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) arrested a Brazilian national at Beirut's international airport, as part of a joint operation with Qatari authorities, who was attempting to smuggle cocaine by swallowing 133 capsules for a total weight of 1.8 kilograms.
The Lebanese Army also recently announced the dismantling of a major factory producing captagon pills, a synthetic drug, in Yammouneh, in the Baalbeck (Bekaa) region, calling it “one of the largest factories discovered to date.”
