The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces - Public Relations Division issued the following statement: "Within the framework of the daily monitoring carried out by the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces to combat illegal migration from Lebanon to European countries via unsafe boats along the northern Lebanese shores, which has resulted in the death of many migrants after boat capsizes.
As a result of the diligent efforts by the relevant units in the branch, information was gathered about unidentified individuals preparing for a human smuggling operation across the sea to Italy. Subsequently, after the intelligence efforts conducted by these units, they identified the individuals involved in preparing for the operation, including:
- A.K. (born in 1981, Lebanese)
- B.K. (born in 1984, Lebanese)
Consequently, orders were given to locate and arrest them as quickly as possible.
On June 29, 2022, after a thorough surveillance operation, one of the branch’s patrols spotted the first suspect in the Mina area - Tripoli, on board the boat prepared for the smuggling operation. They acted to apprehend him and seize the boat.
Simultaneously, another patrol set up a tight ambush in the Abu Ali roundabout area, resulting in the arrest of three Syrian families and nine young men in a Hyundai van and a Mercedes vehicle, both of which were seized and the drivers detained, identified as:
- A.B.M. (born in 1996, Syrian)
- K.H. (born in 1986), who were working to transport the passengers to the location of the boat. Additionally, on July 1, 2022, B.K. was arrested in the Doumm and Farz area.
Upon interrogating them, they admitted that the boat belonged to a Syrian national who was preparing for a human smuggling operation on board to Italy, and they had registered it in the name of the first suspect because the Syrian could not obtain ownership documents in exchange for the first suspect traveling on it to Italy without any financial compensation.
A.B.M. and K.H. also confessed to their involvement in transporting the Syrian families and young men to the port.
The passengers were handed over to the relevant department, and legal actions were initiated against the detainees, who were referred to the appropriate jurisdiction while the boat, the van, and the car were seized based on the judiciary's directive, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the last suspect involved."
