Drug Bust in Beirut Cafe Results in Multiple Arrests and Seizures

The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement:

"In the ongoing efforts by Internal Security Forces to combat crime across Lebanon, especially drug trafficking, the Mount Lebanon Investigation Detachment in the Regional Gendarmerie Unit received information about an individual promoting drugs inside a cafe where he worked in Beir Hassan. The cafe is owned by: A. A. (born in 1964, Syrian).

Based on this information, the detachment's patrols conducted investigative actions and identified and arrested the suspect in the mentioned area. He is identified as:

A. S. (born in 2002, Syrian) according to his statement.

During the search, the following items were found:

A black "Landee" motorcycle without license plates

/6/ large plastic bundles containing transparent nylon bags of crystal meth

A small plastic bundle containing crystal meth

/5/ transparent nylon bags containing marijuana

/15/ transparent nylon bags containing Captagon pills and empty bags for drug packaging

$100 counterfeit U.S. dollars, an “HP” laptop, a cellphone, a personal status statement, an identity photo, and an electoral card, all unrelated to him.

During interrogation, he confessed to drug promotion.

Further investigation revealed that the cafe owner (A. A.) and his son (H. A.) were engaged in drug trafficking and are currently at large.

Another person involved in supplying the drugs to the cafe and a hotel, known as:

H. S. (born in 2010, Lebanese), according to his statement, was also arrested.

A search of the homes of the cafe owner and his son in Beir Hassan revealed a cache of weapons and ammunition at the son's residence:

Kalashnikov rifle with /3/ magazines, capacity /30/

Two 20-round magazines

An AKS magazine and a tan military pouch.

/146/ usable bullets of 7.62 mm caliber

/4/ bullets of 5.45 mm caliber

A small DRONE with a battery housed in a small gray bag.

The detainees (A. S.) and (H. S.) along with the seized items have been handed over to the relevant authority for legal processing, and efforts continue to arrest the remaining suspects, as per the directions of the competent judiciary."