ISF Foils Smuggling of Over 800,000 Captagon Pills to Gulf

Two operations two smuggle more than 800,000 Captagon narcotic pills to Gulf countries have been smuggled in Lebanon in recent days, the Internal Security Forces said on Monday.

“After obtaining information that Lebanese and Syrian individuals were preparing for major smuggling operations, especially in the North and Bekaa regions, and following close surveillance, the Intelligence Branch managed on July 28 and 29 to seize two refrigerated trucks,” an ISF statement said.

The first truck was intercepted in Bekaa's Chtaura area and contained 506,000 white and yellow Captagon pills while three people were arrested, the ISF added.

It identified the three detainees as two 33-year-old Lebanese men and a stateless 37-year-old man.

“During interrogation, one of the Lebanese detainees confessed that the cargo belonged to two Syrian brothers who live in the (Bekaa) town of Saadnayel, describing them as two of the major drug and Captagon dealers and smugglers,” the ISF statement said.

He also confessed that the stateless detainee was “his partner in transporting vegetables and fruits as a cover-up for smuggling drugs to a Gulf country.”

The third detainee, who was the truck driver, meanwhile claimed that he was not aware that the vehicle was carrying Captagon and was eventually freed, the ISF added.

As for the second truck, the ISF said that it was intercepted in the al-Ayrouniyeh area in the northern Zgharta district and that it was being driven by a 38-year-old Syrian national.

“Fifty thousand Captagon pills were found hidden in small packs in the vehicle while 250,000 pills were found in his house. The pills were meant to be smuggled to Jordan,” the ISF added.

“During interrogation, the man confessed to smuggling Captagon in collaboration with a 27-year-old Syrian national, who was eventually arrested,” the ISF explained.

The driver's brother H. D., who is being held at a Saudi prison, was also involved in the smuggling activities, the Syrian detainee told interrogators.