Army Arrests Last Member of Gang Suspected of Robbing Banks

The army intelligence branch detained the last member of a gang accused of being involved in a spree of armed bank robberies in Beirut and Mont Lebanon, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

According to a communique issued by the army Hussein Hijazi was detained in his hideout in the South.

The suspect confessed to the charges and of forming a gang with Mohammed al-Jouni, Mohammed Ayyoub and Firas Salha to rob banks.

Several banks were robbed recently including the Fenicia Bank, formerly Bank of Kuwait and the Arab World, in the Beirut district of Ashrafiyeh in July, Societe Generale de Banque au Liban (SGBL) branch in Kfarshima, the Dbayeh branch of Banque Libano-Francaise at the end of June and several others.

Media reports said that the network is suspected of plotting attacks on two judges and had a list to target several other politicians and officials.

According to the report, the cell led by al-Jouni was planning to assassinate Speaker Nabih Berri, Former Ministers Michel and Elias al-Murr, MPs George Adwan, Akram Shehayyeb, Nohad al-Mashnouq, Ahmed Fatfat, Mohammed Kabbara, Judges Abdul Rahim Hammoud, Henri Khoury, Dani el-Zaenni and former LBCI anchorwoman May Chidiac.

Al-Jouni, who was seized by armed forces following a string of bank robberies in the country, has admitted to the charges.