Latest news with #Captagon
Lebanese Army
2 days ago
- Lebanese Army
The LAF Dismantles One of the Largest Drug Laboratories and Fills a Tunnel Associated with It, Seizing a Large Quantity of Drugs in Al Yammouna
Monday, 14 July 2025 The LAF Command - Directorate of Orientation issued the following statement: On July 13, 2025, following information received by the Intelligence Directorate regarding a major Captagon pill laboratory in Al Yammouna - Baalbek, a patrol from the Directorate, supported by a LAF unit, conducted a raid on the laboratory. It was found to be one of the largest laboratories seized to date. LAF personnel worked to dismantle the equipment and machinery used in the laboratory, weighing approximately 10 tons, and destroyed part of it. Additionally, they seized a large quantity of Captagon pills, crystal meth, and various other drug substances. The LAF also brought in a bulldozer, which filled a tunnel of approximately 300 meters long that was used for entering and exiting the laboratory and storing some of its equipment. The seized items were handed over, and an investigation was initiated under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities, with follow-ups ongoing to arrest those involved.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
From Pills To Pistols: Inside Saudi Arabia's Latest Customs Busts
RIYADH, July 15: Saudi Arabia's land, sea, and air customs points recorded a total of 1,268 seizures of contraband, as part of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority's ongoing efforts to strengthen border security and protect society. Among the confiscated items were 116 types of narcotic substances, including hashish, cocaine, heroin, shabu, and Captagon pills, as well as 683 other prohibited items. Authorities also seized 2,114 units of tobacco and its derivatives, 61 instances of undeclared cash, and eight types of weapons and related accessories. The Authority reaffirmed its commitment to tightening customs controls on all imports and exports, working closely with partner agencies to safeguard the Kingdom and its people. Citizens are encouraged to support efforts to combat smuggling by reporting suspicious activities. Tips can be submitted confidentially through the hotline 1910, via email at [email protected], or by calling the international number +966 1910. Informants may be eligible for a financial reward if the information provided proves accurate.
LBCI
2 days ago
- LBCI
Tunnel to trafficking: Lebanese Army cracks down on hidden narcotics lab in Yammoune
Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Mariella Succar On a hilltop in Yammoune, the Lebanese Army uncovered a Captagon and crystal meth lab that mirrors the methods of South American drug cartels. The 300-meter tunnel isn't beneath a border between Mexico and the U.S. — it's in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. From the outside, only buildings and rooms are visible. On the inside, the tunnel conceals equipment behind hidden passageways and electronically controlled tile-covered walls, leading to what the Army called the largest Captagon and crystal meth lab it has ever seized. The tunnel was only part of the operation. What appeared to be tiled walls were in fact disguised doors, opening onto rooms filled with drug-making machinery and chemicals. After surveillance and infiltration, army intelligence traced the facility producing Captagon for export and crystal meth for local distribution. Other drugs were also found, along with machines originally intended for legal industries but repurposed for narcotics production. The lab is believed to be the largest discovered to date. He had reportedly brought in a foreign expert wanted by Interpol — known for developing unique formulas — and engineers to design the facility and build the tunnel. The Army destroyed part of the equipment, sealed the tunnel, and confiscated large quantities of drugs. The operation marked another blow by military intelligence to a trade that has dragged Lebanon into a dangerous crisis and strained its ties with friendly nations.
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Lebanon dismantles 'major' Captagon factory
Lebanon 's army says it has dismantled a major Captagon factory after finding a 300-metre tunnel used to deliver and store materials for the lab. The military said the site in Yammouneh, about 25km from the city of Baalbek, was 'one of the largest labs' raided to date. It said it seized about 10 tonnes of equipment and machinery and destroyed a 'large quantity of Captagon pills, crystal meth and various narcotics'. Work is now under way to find the people who operated the factory, the Lebanese Armed Forces added. They published footage of the raid, a bulldozer filling in the tunnel and the burning of some of the material captured. In May, the Lebanese army seized a large quantity of Captagon pills and dismantled a laboratory used to produce the drugs in a raid near the border with Syria. Also that month, the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged to continue the fight against Captagon smuggling in an interview with The National. The illegal export of the drug has strained relations with Gulf states in recent years. 'We are looking to facilitate exports to Gulf countries, and we must do our part to ensure that red lines are not crossed, particularly those that have concerned Gulf states in the past, like the trafficking of Captagon through Lebanon,' Mr Salam said at the time. 'These drugs were produced in Syria, passed through Lebanon, took on a Lebanese cover, and were exported from here. Today, with the tightening of our border with the Syrian regime, smuggling and drug exports are more controlled. But that doesn't mean the problem is over.' The often porous Syria-Lebanon border has long led to rampant smuggling of people, weapons and drugs. Captagon was state-produced on a mass scale in Syria during the last years of the Bashar Al Assad regime, providing a vital income source to help prop up the cash-strapped government during the prolonged civil war. The drug was often smuggled into Lebanon through border areas where Hezbollah – the Lebanese armed group and political party that supported the Assad regime – held sway. Mr Al Assad was overthrown in a rebel offensive in December. Syria's new rulers have sought to eliminate production networks and publicly destroyed seizures of large amounts of the drug. Lebanon often seizes of vast amounts of Captagon and other drugs. In 2023, an estimated 10 million Captagon pills meant to be smuggled to Senegal and then on to Saudi Arabia were intercepted. In April 2021, Saudi Arabia suspended fruit and vegetable imports from Lebanon after it said shipments were being used as cover for drug smuggling.
LBCI
3 days ago
- LBCI
Lebanese Army dismantles major Captagon factory in Yammouneh, Baalbek
The Lebanese Army announced that it had dismantled on Sunday one of the largest drug manufacturing facilities uncovered to date in the town of Yammouneh, Baalbek. According to an army statement, a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence, backed by a military unit, raided the Captagon production site based on intelligence gathered by the directorate. Forces dismantled about 10 tons of machinery used in the operation. Part of the equipment was destroyed on-site, while large quantities of Captagon pills and other narcotics were seized. A bulldozer was brought in to seal a 300-meter tunnel connected to the facility, which had been used for access, escape, and storage. The seized materials are now in custody, and an investigation is underway under judicial supervision. Efforts to arrest those responsible are ongoing.
