The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces - Public Relations Division issued the following statement: "As part of the daily monitoring carried out by the Internal Security Forces to combat crimes in various Lebanese regions, including smuggling operations (tobacco, fuel, etc.), specialized units have intensified their measures in areas where these operations are common to arrest those involved. On January 7, 2024, as a result of surveillance conducted by Information Division patrols in the Al-Abda area, a "Hino" pickup truck suspected of carrying a gas tank was intercepted. The driver was arrested, and upon verifying his identity, it was revealed that he is: Q. M. (born in 1986, Lebanese). He was found in possession of a mobile phone and a sum of money in Syrian currency. A search of the pickup revealed /175/ boxes of tobacco (shisha) secretly hidden inside. During the investigation, he admitted to transporting the smuggled tobacco and shisha after obtaining it from the Bekaa region in coordination with a Syrian national, to the southern suburbs and delivering it to an individual in the area, for an amount of /350/ US dollars. He also added that he has been working in this field for about a year, with an average of two to three transports per week. The seized items were handed over to the Tobacco and Tobacco Monopoly Administration. Legal action was taken against him, and he was referred to the competent authority based on judicial instructions, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices."
One of the individuals involved in the smuggling operation of shisha hidden professionally inside a gas tank was arrested by the Information Division. #Internal_Security #Security_is_a_Trust — Internal Security Forces (@LebISF) January 17, 2024
