The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement: "On the night of June 30, 2023, it was not an ordinary day for the engineer (J. A. H., born 1966, Lebanese) who left his brother’s house in the Dekwaneh area, unaware of what awaited him in Bourj Hammoud. Two Syrian nationals, one of whom he had previously known, planned to lure him in and kill him in order to steal his black Toyota 'FJ CRUISER.' They were fascinated by the vehicle and decided to carry out their crime cold-bloodedly, strangling the engineer to take his car. However, they could not find it and fled the scene.
Details continued: On the morning of July 1, 2023, an unidentified individual in his forties was found dead in Bourj Hammoud with signs of blood on his face and hands. Immediately, the relevant units were tasked with taking all necessary measures at the crime scene, including listening to witness statements and collecting available evidence. As a result of the diligent efforts of the Information Branch, they managed to identify the suspects involved in the murder within a few hours:
1. A. M. (born 1999, Syrian)
2. I. A. (born 2003, Syrian)
At that time, the victim's identity remained unknown until information about the disappearance of the Lebanese engineer (J. A. H., born 1966) emerged on the same date, July 1, 2023. He had left his brother's house in Dekwaneh on the evening of June 30, 2023, and lost contact since. After comparing the missing person's photos with those of the corpse, it was confirmed that the body found in Bourj Hammoud was indeed that of the missing engineer. The Information Branch patrols located the engineer's Toyota 'FJ CRUISER' vehicle in the vicinity of the crime scene and seized it.
Consequently, the special force of the branch was assigned to determine the whereabouts of the suspects and arrest them as swiftly as possible before they could leave Lebanese territory. Following precise surveillance, this force managed to pinpoint the suspects' hiding place in the Halat area, where they executed a raid on the chalet where they were hiding and arrested them.
During the interrogation, after being confronted with conclusive evidence proving their involvement in the crime, they confessed to committing the murder of the victim to steal his car. The first suspect stated that he had known the victim for about two months and, upon seeing the car, suggested to the second suspect that they lure the owner to his house to kill him and steal the vehicle. When the victim arrived at the first suspect's house in Bourj Hammoud, they ambushed and strangled him to death. They then searched for the car but could not find a place to park it before the victim left. They put the body in a cover, removed it from the house, and dumped it on the road. They then headed to the second suspect's home in Halat via a public van, preparing to leave for Syria illegally. They also admitted to using drugs.
A search of the second suspect's house resulted in the discovery of a quantity of drugs and the victim's car key. Legal actions were taken against them, and they were referred to the relevant authorities along with the seized items.
They committed the murder of a citizen in Bourj Hammoud to steal his car, and the Information Branch uncovered the circumstances of the crime in less than 24 hours, arresting the murderers before their escape to Syria."
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