The Lebanese Army conducted a series of operations to chase drug dealers in the Beqaa region and the Internal Security Forces kicked off the same campaign in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
These steps followed a political and security decision in Lebanon to dismantle illicit drug cells and arrest narcotic lords as part of a nationwide policy to crack down on wanted people responsible for promoting illicit drugs in the country.
Official sources told Asharq Al-Awsat there is a firm decision in Lebanon to arrest those drug lords and chase their cells.
In the past days, the Army raided a factory owned by wanted fugitive Noah Zaiter in the northern Beqaa, confiscating a cargo estimated at about 20 trucks of drugs.
The factory is located in a farm owned by Noah and his brother Zuhair in the town of Riha-Marah al-Mir.
Military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the whereabouts of Zaiter, Lebanon's most notorious drug lord, were still unknown, amid uncertain reports that the man has left the country to Syria via illegal channels.
Last Thursday, the ISF arrested several people involved in promoting illicit drugs in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
Reports said the Counterterrorism and Crimes Office arrested five Lebanese in Metn, Sayyad, Barouk for promoting illicit drugs, while the Division of Information at the ISF had arrested last week in Mount Lebanon two Lebanese and two Syrians, considered to be from the most prominent drug dealers in the country.
The military sources said the Army intelligence is constantly and closely chasing those drug fugitives.
“Those wanted criminals do not possess the freedom to move because they are closely monitored. There are efforts to arrest them,” they said.
