Bank Robber Reportedly Admits to Plotting to Kill Judges

A Lebanese man arrested for robbing banks has admitted to plotting the assassination of judges, a high-ranking military source said Thursday.

The Army Intelligence arrested Mohammed al-Jouni along with Mohammed Ayyoub for a spree of armed bank robberies that netted more than $1.5 million, the military said in a communique on Tuesday.

It added that the robbers had already been cashing fake checks.

During the robbery of BLOM’s Elissar branch on Aug. 9, Jouni opened fire on an Army Captain from al-Jurdi family and stole his gun.

The man also admitted to asking a suspect to prepare explosives in return for cash, the Army said, adding that it seized hand grenades and ammunition during a raid in Beirut.

However, the military source told al-Joumhouria newspaper that Jouni was also planning bombing attacks to kill several judges.

He has confirmed that he had ties to al-Rmeileh terrorist cell whose members were arrested last month with a large cache of weapons, the source said.

Last month, the Army raided the residences of the Rmeileh suspects and seized 1,211 detonators, several electric-detonators, Israeli-made devices used to ignite mines, Russian and American-made anti-personnel mines, Israeli-made mortar shells, 21 hand grenades, weapons and other equipment.