An officer empties a bag of tablets of captagon. (Credit: Illustrative photo/AFP)
New elements are emerging in the interception of one of the largest narcotics shipments in North Lebanon last week, as security sources confirmed to L'Orient Today that out of the several suspects still at large, a former Lebanese Army soldier was arrested, and that the shipment was meant to reach a "Gulf country."
According to security sources contacted Thursday, the operation, which took place last Saturday evening in the town of Bakhoun (Minyeh-Dinnieh district), followed days of surveillance by the Drug Enforcement Office of the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
The office conducted a swift and organized operation in the village, intercepting a half-loaded truck near a warehouse, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the area reported. According to the sources, who did not specify the type of drugs seized, the shipment was not only intended for the local market, but also for smuggling to an unspecified Gulf country.
Local channel MTV reported on Wednesday that the truck, allegedly containing captagon pills (a type of amphetamine), was intercepted following intelligence provided by a Gulf country, without specifying which. The truck contained approximately 600 sacks and 500 buckets of narcotics.
According to MTV, the case reportedly involves around 60 individuals. Security sources told our correspondent that one suspect, a former Lebanese Army member who had been dismissed for disciplinary reasons, was arrested at the scene and that at least one suspect remains at large.
Among the suspects still at large, according to MTV, is Ahmad Ibrahim al-Samad, a known fruit and vegetable seller.
Trust in Gulf export markets
The Syndicate of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers in Lebanon issued a statement Thursday, "rejecting any link between its member, Ahmad Ibrahim al-Samad," and the incident, calling for "accurate reporting and warning that mistaken identities harm the agricultural sector," especially efforts to restore trust in Gulf export markets.
Bakhoun's municipality issued a statement denouncing any attempt to tarnish the village's image, affirming that Bakhoun "will remain clean, safe and law-abiding."
Security agencies, including the ISF, declined to comment. The Lebanese Army stated it has no information on the case. MPs from Akkar and Dinnieh were also unresponsive to L'Orient Today’s inquiries. A mukhtar of Bakhoun did not respond to requests for comment.
Drug trafficking was at the heart of a diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Gulf countries in recent years. On Wednesday, Lebanon's Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar discussed with President Joseph Aoun "cooperating" with Arab countries on this issue.
Several anti-drug operations across Lebanon were recently reported in the press. Authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of two Nigerian nationals who ingested and smuggled cocaine capsules into the country. Earlier in September, 125 kilograms of cocaine, worth $15 million, were seized at the Port of Tripoli — the largest quantity of cocaine ever intercepted in Lebanon.
Other incidents over the summer included arrests of travellers smuggling drugs through Beirut's airport, the discovery of captagon hidden in furniture bound for Saudi Arabia, and the dismantling of a captagon factory in Yammouneh, in the Baalbeck district.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak.
