Report: Lebanon Informs Syrian Authorities about Lutfallah ll Investigations

Authorities are tracking down a Lebanese man who is allegedly playing a critical role in smuggling arms to the Syria opposition, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the daily, the Lebanese authorities informed the Syrian authorities about the preliminary investigations regarding the Lebanese navy’s interception of weapons aboard the Sierra Leone-flagged Lutfallah II ship.

The report included information about the owner of the ship, the funders, the route of the ship, and details about the weapons in the three containers that were found on board.

Head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury demanded that he be granted access to the details of the investigations or at least the part related to the Syrian nationals.

The vessel was stopped by the navy off the northern coast on Friday and towed to the port of Selaata and then to the navy base in Beirut.

The eleven-member crew – eight Syrians, two Egyptians and an Indian - and the ship’s agent were arrested.

According to al-Akhbar, the ship was carrying French-made rocket launchers that similar to those used by the Libyan rebels in their revolution against Moammar Gadhafi.