Lebanese authorities have concluded their investigation into the abduction and disappearance of retired General Security captain Ahmed Shukr, reaching what officials described as a “decisive conclusion” three weeks after he vanished under mysterious circumstances.
A senior judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shukr was kidnapped in a “highly precise and complex security operation” planned and executed by Israel’s Mossad, which exploited security gaps and relied on the direct cooperation of a Lebanese operative recruited specifically for the mission.
The source stressed that the operation “was not random, but part of an organized intelligence effort,” adding that Shukr was targeted for reasons that remain unknown.
Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjar ordered the closure of the investigation’s preliminary phase, during which only one suspect was arrested: A Lebanese expatriate residing in Africa, believed to have worked for the Mossad and to have played a central role in luring and abducting Shukr.
According to the judicial source, the suspect initially denied any involvement but soon confessed to cooperating with the Mossad and carrying out multiple assignments, including the task of luring Shukr prior to his abduction.
He admitted to meeting Mossad officers in Africa and receiving payments ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 for each mission.
Investigators said the suspect had prior acquaintance with Shukr, enabling him to build a relationship of trust. After returning to Lebanon roughly ten days ago — apparently in an attempt to dispel suspicion — the suspect rented an apartment owned by Shukr in the town of Choueifat.
Investigators described this detail as crucial in understanding how Shukr was drawn into the trap, alongside other technical and logistical evidence that reinforced the conclusion the operation was carried out with high precision under the supervision of a professional intelligence service.
The suspect’s confessions were corroborated by technical evidence, particularly telecommunications data tracing Shukr’s movements and the timing of his disappearance.
While the initial phase of the investigation has been concluded, authorities say it remains open to the possible involvement of additional suspects believed to be inside Lebanon. Efforts are also ongoing to determine Shukr’s fate, which remains unknown.
The case is expected to be referred to Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem for prosecution of the suspect and anyone else implicated.
Hajjar has also issued search warrants for two individuals—a Swedish national of Syrian origin and a French national of Lebanese origin, suspected of luring Shukr from his hometown of Nabi Sheet to an area near Zahle under the pretext of assisting with a property purchase.
Both men disappeared following Shukr’s abduction. The Swedish suspect is known to have left Lebanon via Beirut’s international airport within hours, while it remains unclear whether the French suspect fled illegally.
Investigators believe the operation may be linked to the long-standing case of Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon in 1986.
Shukr’s family has rejected links to Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah official killed by Israel in July 2024 in Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying no one in the town even knew him.
