Arrest of the Mastermind Behind One of the Most Dangerous Theft and Robbery Gangs

The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces - Public Relations Division announced in a statement that "as part of the ongoing efforts by the Internal Security Forces to combat motorcycle thefts, the Information Branch succeeded in arresting a large number of individuals involved. Investigations with those arrested revealed that the mastermind behind these operations is named: A. K. H. (1971, Lebanese) and is considered one of the most wanted individuals by the judiciary, with a record of previous offenses including forming theft and robbery gangs, drug trafficking, and others. He has /5/ judicial warrants issued against him for theft and forming criminal gangs. He heads a gang responsible for stealing motorcycles from various areas in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The Information Branch had previously arrested all members of his gang while he went into hiding. On 01/08/2023, after the special force assigned to the branch was tasked with apprehending him, and following careful surveillance, they managed to locate him in his home in the Lilaki area - southern suburb. Subsequently, a meticulous plan was developed to raid the house and prevent the wanted individual from escaping, and in a swift operation, he was arrested. During questioning, he confessed to his involvement in carrying out dozens of motorcycle thefts from various areas of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, admitting that he led several gangs, the individuals of which had been previously arrested by the Information Branch. He also confessed to smuggling the stolen motorcycles into Syria, where they are sold. Legal action was taken against him and he was referred to the competent authority based on the judiciary's directives."