Report: Deqmaq Sold Large Quantities of Shahhal's Weapons before Escaping to Turkey

Salafist Sheikh Bilal Deqmaq, who was handed over to Lebanon by Turkish authorities earlier this week, had made a $250,000 profit after selling arms in Lebanon and escaping to Turkey, An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday.

Deqmaq was brought back to Lebanon on Wednesday aboard a Turkish jet and was accompanied by Turkish policemen who handed him over to Lebanese authorities.

He was arrested in Turkey on suspicion that he was smuggling cash to extremist groups, but was set free after he denied the charges.

Following his release, Deqmaq was put under close watch by Turkish police.

An arrest warrant was issued for him after Lebanese troops raided his parents' house in the northern city of Tripoli in late October and captured large amounts of weapons and ammunition, including automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

Another wanted Salafist cleric, Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal, said at the time that the weapons belonged to him and demanded their return.

He claimed that he had stored the $500,000 worth arms at Deqmaq's house to keep them out of the sight of extremists, who would use them against the army.

According to An Nahar, the cash in Deqmaq's possession at the time of his arrest in Turkey was the result of his $250,000 profit from selling large quantities of the arms stored in the house.

Al-Shahhal did not have information about his scheme, said the daily.

G.K.

H.K.