Photos: Border Drug Bust Ends in Clash With the Army
The Lebanese Army has foiled two smuggling operations along the Syrian border, seizing large quantities of drugs, rocket-propelled munitions and explosives, the army said on Friday.
In a statement, the Army Command’s Directorate of Orientation said an armed clash broke out on October 9 in the outskirts of Arsal between army personnel and a Lebanese national suspected of smuggling. No injuries were reported.
The suspect was attempting to transport drugs from Lebanon into Syria when he was intercepted and arrested. Army personnel seized around 60 kilograms of hashish, 35 kilograms of Captagon and 22 kilograms of marijuana, along with a military pistol and ammunition.
In a separate operation, an army unit thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons and explosives from Syria into Lebanon through the al-Qasr area of Hermel. The seized items included rocket-propelled munitions and approximately 24 kilograms of highly explosive TNT.
The army said the confiscated items had been handed over to the relevant authorities and an investigation into the arrested suspect was underway under judicial supervision. Efforts are continuing to identify and arrest those involved in the explosives smuggling operation.
