Lebanese authorities have dismantled an illegal drugs laboratory in the Baalbek region, after acting on intelligence provided by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior.
Security forces raided the Captagon manufacturing plant and warehouse in Tal Al Abyad on January 15, and arrested the owner along with his son, his father and an assistant, the Ministry of Interior said.
Internal Security Forces said they seized materials used for drug production, 820 pills, hashish and weapons, among other items. The ISF thanked Saudi Arabia's anti-drug authorities for the information leading to the raid.
Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have been collaborating to counter drug-smuggling networks in the region, especially trade of the highly addictive Captagon.
The ISF said: "This operation reaffirms, once again, that combating drugs is a national priority, and that the Internal Security Forces, in co-operation with the Lebanese Army and relevant agencies in our brotherly Arab countries – especially with the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia – are continuing to pursue, dismantle and break up drug-trafficking and smuggling networks, as well as to arrest those involved, to protect our societies."
Lebanese authorities in September prevented an attempt to smuggle Captagon pills and cannabis into Saudi Arabia. Security officials “seized 6.5 million Captagon pills and 700kg of cannabis, which were being prepared for shipment towards the kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, Lebanon's Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar said.
He added that information received from the kingdom had led to the confiscation of drugs with a street value of $15 million.
In the same month, authorities in Lebanon seized 125kg of cocaine arriving by ship from Brazil, again based on intelligence provided by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Mr Hajjar said.
In November, more than 17kg of cocaine and 11,200kg of ecstasy were intercepted during an attempt to smuggle the haul into Lebanon in a joint security operation with Saudi Arabia. The ministry in Beirut said the joint effort was part of a broader anti-drugs strategy aimed at curbing trafficking across the region.
