Baalbek patrol unit apprehended '15 Syrian infiltrators and seized 400 Captagon pills'

L'Orient-Le Jour

08-05-2025

During a security operation involving a car chase, a patrol from the Baalbek Customs Task Force apprehended a pickup truck carrying 15 Syrian nationals who had illegally entered Lebanon, Lebanese Customs said in a statement Thursday.
"During the vehicle's inspection, the patrol seized approximately 400 pills of Captagon. The detainees and the confiscated items were handed over to the Lebanese Army, and investigations continue under the supervision of the relevant judicial authorities," the statement said.
"This operation is part of the ongoing efforts by Lebanese Customs to combat smuggling and infiltration attempts, ensuring the security and stability of the country, and highlighting the constant readiness of its personnel to face challenges," the statement concluded.
Syria shares a 330-kilometer border with Lebanon, with no official demarcation at various points, rendering it prone to smuggling.
Lebanon's security forces regularly announce arrests and seizures linked to the trafficking of Captagon, an illegal amphetamine produced in Lebanon and Syria. Its producers compete inventively to export it illegally, primarily to the Gulf, where it is prized as a party drug. Customs and security forces have already found pills concealed in foodstuffs, industrial equipment, and trinkets.
Overland export routes through Syria have also been cut off since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Western governments have long accused the former Syrian president's brother, Maher al-Assad, and his entourage of turning Syria into a hub for illegal drug trade.