Lebanon: Saudi Captagon smuggler arrested
The smuggler presented documents indicating he works in "security", according to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior.
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The confiscated drugs were destined for Kuwait. (Archive)
The Lebanese Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of a Saudi man at Beirut International Airport on Sunday on the count of attempting to smuggle 18.3 kilograms of the illegal drug, Captagon.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry detailed that the drugs were destined for Kuwait.
The man is a Saudi citizen and a resident of Kuwait with documents indicating that he works in "security" there, the statement stressed.
However, the suspect was not named.
It is worth mentioning that Captagon trade in the Middle East exceeded $5 billion in 2021, according to a report released in April by the New Lines Institute.
Saudi Arabia is considered the main consumer of Captagon drugs in the region.
A security official at the airport told AFP that the man had placed an estimated 110,000 Captagon pills inside bags "stitched in clothing."
Over the years, Lebanese authorities have apprehended several Captagon smugglers, most notably a Saudi prince in 2015 who, along with 4 Saudi accomplices, attempted to smuggle approximately 2 tons of pills on a private plane bound for the Kingdom from Beirut.
It is worth mentioning that Saudi media and Saudi-affiliated media have constantly accused Hezbollah of smuggling drugs to the Kingdom with no proof whatsoever provided, deliberately disregarding that the arrests carried out so far mainly had Saudi nationals involved.
