Syria intercepts smuggling operation at Lebanese border

BEIRUT — Syrian army border guards announced Wednesday that they had intercepted a smuggling operation in the Jurd al-Maarra area, near Yabroud, along the Lebanese border, without specifying the goods being transported.

"During the operation, the smugglers fired at the patrol, which returned fire," Syrian General Security said in a statement. The operation led to the seizure of two vehicles and their cargo. Syrian authorities arrested one of the smugglers, while the others fled toward Lebanon, according to the official SANA news agency.

The statement from Damascus came after the Lebanese Army and our correspondent in the Bekaa reported an incident involving smugglers at the Lebanese-Syrian border, although it was not immediately possible to confirm whether the two incidents were the same.

In a statement released Thursday, the Lebanese Army said it had seized a shipment Wednesday near Arsal after an exchange of gunfire between smugglers and troops. The army said the intercepted vehicles were carrying "about 5 tons of metals as well as tobacco."

"The army seized five pickup trucks headed for Lebanon. It arrested A.H., who took part in the operation. The confiscated goods were handed over to the competent authorities, and an investigation was opened," the statement said.

Lebanese security sources told our correspondent that a Syrian General Security patrol had opened fire on two trucks loaded with smuggled vegetables from Syria and headed toward Lebanon near Arsal. The Lebanese Army later intercepted the two trucks at a checkpoint and arrested a man suspected of trafficking. The army handed the two vehicles and their cargo over to the judiciary, according to our correspondent.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Damascus has regularly announced seizures of smuggled goods along the Lebanese border, notably captagon, a synthetic drug, and weapons.