Beirut airport: Banned hormones brought into Lebanon under guise of medication

Financial prosecutor Maher Cheaito on Friday questioned several freight forwarders, Rafik Hariri International Airport officials, and witnesses in a suspected case of falsifying customs declarations, which enabled the importation of prohibited hormones into Lebanon disguised as medicine.

The falsification — which is considered a crime under Lebanese law as it involves official documents — allegedly took place with the complicity of security agents and is said to have involved forging the signatures of pharmaceutical inspectors from the Health Ministry.

The financial prosecutor's investigation also reportedly revealed that 82 similar customs declarations have gone missing or were destroyed, likely after the initial fraud was discovered.

Judge Cheaito, who plans to carry out further questioning, has not taken any measures against those questioned on Friday, pending the conclusion of his investigation.