The General Directorate of State Security arrested "al-Asmar," a suspected drug trafficker. (Credit: State Security Facebook account)
The Lebanese Army said Friday it carried out a raid in Beirut’s Palestinian Shatila camp targeting a drug warehouse, sparking clashes and leading to the arrest of 55 people.
Meanwhile, State Security arrested several high-level traffickers, including one of the country’s most wanted.
In a statement, the army said it launched “a raid on a warehouse used by a gang to store narcotics” inside the camp. “This operation marks a decisive step in the army’s ongoing campaign against drug trafficking,” it added.
The raid triggered “clashes with wanted individuals, wounding one of them,” according to the statement. The army said 55 people were arrested, including Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals, and “a large quantity of drugs, as well as weapons and military ammunition,” was seized.
‘One of the most dangerous’ drug traffickers
State Security said its intelligence and special operations units arrested Lebanese national M. Sh., known as “al-Asmar,” on Sept. 8 after intensive surveillance. Authorities said he is one of the most dangerous drug traffickers in Lebanon and is wanted on 46 arrest warrants.
Agents also seized narcotics, psychotropic pills and sums of money in foreign currency. During questioning, “al-Asmar” admitted to the charges against him, State Security said. He is expected to be referred to the judiciary.
The arrest comes two days after “one of the most wanted criminals” in Lebanon, pursued for murder, arms trafficking, drug trafficking and promotion, and kidnapping, was killed in a shootout with the army during a raid in Mishmish, Akkar district.
On Aug. 6, Ali Mounzer Zeaiter, known as “Abou Salleh,” another top drug trafficker wanted for kidnappings and two murders — including the murder of a soldier — was killed in clashes with the army in Baalbeck’s Sharawneh neighborhood.
At the time, a senior security source told L’Orient-Le Jour: “These operations are far from over … our fight against drug traffickers is still long,” noting that 450 top-level dealers had been arrested over the past four years.
Interior Minister Ahmed Hajjar said Friday that fighting drugs was “a national priority that leaves no room for negligence, and a collective responsibility requiring the mobilization of all.”
Hajjar has recently announced several large drug seizures and the dismantling of trafficking networks. On Thursday, Boukhari praised the ministry’s efforts to curb drug smuggling, particularly toward the kingdom.
Lebanon has been under pressure from Gulf states to curb the production and trafficking of narcotics, especially Captagon — an illegal synthetic amphetamine that was Syria’s main export before Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a coalition of Islamist rebels on Dec. 8.
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