The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces - Public Relations Department announced today, Saturday, that "on November 17, 2023, M. H. (born in 1990, Syrian) filed a complaint regarding the kidnapping of her daughter S. B. (born in 2020, Syrian) and her being subjected to torture." The statement said: "As a result, the Information Division was tasked with taking action to determine the circumstances of the kidnapping, the whereabouts of the kidnapped girl, and to return her to her family, as well as to arrest the kidnappers."
It added that "as a result of the investigation with the complainant, it became clear that she owed a person named A. B. (born in 1987, Syrian) an amount of /26,200/ US dollars. During her attempts to secure the amount, she agreed with the mentioned person to leave her daughter with him as a guarantee until she could secure the borrowed amount. When she failed to do so, the creditor went on November 10, 2023, to the Bekaa region accompanied by his family and the child, where they spent four days before returning to their home in the Safra area. During this time, another person contacted the complainant and informed her that he had bought her daughter from (A. B.) and demanded amounts ranging from /60/ to /300/ thousand US dollars to get her back."
As a result of the follow-up, the specialized units of the division were able to locate the kidnapped girl in Haret Hreik, inside the house of one M. Q. (born in 1994, Syrian). On November 22, 2023, following surveillance, the division's patrols carried out simultaneous raids in Safra and Haret Hreik, resulting in the arrest of: A. B. (born in 1987, Syrian); I. B. (born in 1997, Syrian); A. B. (born in 2001, Syrian); and M. Q. (born in 1994, Syrian). Cell phones and a passport were confiscated, and the kidnapped girl was found in Haret Hreik inside the house of the detainee (M. Q.). During the investigation with them, (A. B.) confessed that he had kidnapped the girl due to her mother's failure to repay her debts and had filmed the child while slapping her on the face, holding her upside down while she was bound. He also put makeup on her face to mislead her mother into thinking it was due to abusive treatment."
The statement mentioned that "(A. B.) was communicating with the mother via the “WHATSAPP” app, from two different numbers, and misleading her into thinking he was the one who bought her daughter, demanding financial amounts ranging from /60/ to /300/ thousand US dollars. After returning from the Bekaa, he temporarily hid the girl at the house of (M. Q.), adding that his brothers were aware of these events, and they demanded the mother to pay money to their brother in exchange for her daughter's return."
Investigations with the other detainees confirmed their roles in the incident. A forensic examination of the child revealed that she was in good condition and showed no signs of torture on her body. She was handed over to a welfare association in Sed Boucheir for her care, after coordinating with the head of the Child Protection Office in Mount Lebanon. The child's mother and father, named M. B. (born in 1975, Syrian), were also arrested, and all parties were referred to the relevant authorities, based on the guidance of the competent judiciary, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects.
The Information Division has unraveled the mystery of the three-year-old kidnapped girl and arrested six involved individuals... the motive being debt repayment.
