Report: Lebanese Truck Seized in Syria was Smuggling Rifles to Iraq

A Lebanese truck seized by Syrian authorities in the governorate of Homs included 250 hunting rifles smuggled to Iraq through Syria, informed sources told al-Liwaa daily, refuting allegations that the shipment’s final destination was Syria.

The sources said in remarks published Tuesday that the truck is owned by Ghassan Moussa Fawwaz who hails from the southern town of al-Ghassaniyyeh.

His son Moussa was driving it to deliver the rifles to Iraqi trader Imad Fawzi Ali when he was caught, they told al-Liwaa. Ali had agreed with a member of an influential party to hide the rifles inside the truck to smuggle them to Iraq.

According to the newspaper, Ghassan Fawwaz pressed charges against the Iraqi trader for concealing military equipment in his truck.

The Syrian authorities had announced that the truck was seized at al-Dabousiyyeh border crossing loaded with weapons and ammunition and was intended for helping the anti-regime protestors in Syria.

Al-Liwaa’s report came as high-ranking judicial sources expressed frustration at other media reports saying three Lebanese have been arrested at the Beirut Marina for allegedly smuggling weapons to the Syrian city of Banias.

The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that the three men were arrested over the seizure of six Kalashnikov rifles from their vehicle in Beirut’s Aisha Bakkar neighborhood.

The accused men have admitted to buying the arms to sell them, but they denied their intention to smuggle them to Syria, the sources said.