Latest news with #ISF
LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
Kidnapping claims go viral: ISF reveals facts on Lebanon's missing girls cases
Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Reports of organized gangs kidnapping between 40 and 50 Lebanese girls circulated widely on social media in recent weeks, sparking fear and confusion. However, Lebanon's Internal Security Forces (ISF) have dismissed the claims as false, clarifying that 15 disappearances were reported between July 1 and August 13, with no evidence of abductions by criminal networks. According to ISF investigations, the cases are linked to personal motives such as domestic violence, job opportunities, or family and social issues. In one instance, a young woman traveled to Turkey and later informed her family of her whereabouts. Another case involved a woman who went missing for 24 hours while attempting to leave for an Arab country before her plans fell through. Authorities said most of the missing women have since returned home. In cases where they remain absent, security forces are aware of their locations but cannot compel them to return, particularly if they are fleeing abusive environments. Rumors suggesting that women were being transported to Syria have not been substantiated. On the contrary, sources within two different security agencies indicated that cross-border kidnapping operations have declined significantly due to shifting realities on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian frontier. Criminal groups that once operated with relative freedom no longer find safe haven in Syria, though the Lebanese Army continues to monitor and follow up on the situation. Statistics from the ISF show that the overall number of reported missing women has remained relatively stable in recent months: seven in April, two in May, seven in June, nine in July, and five in August. Between online rumors and official figures, security officials stress that timely reporting remains the most crucial factor in uncovering the truth.
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Two killed in car accidents in the past 24 hours
BEIRUT — According to statistics from the Traffic Management Center on Thursday, two people died in the past 24 hours, while 11 were injured in as many accidents. The administration did not specify where these accidents occurred, but had indicated earlier on Wednesday that one person was killed when a truck overturned on the road linking Ksara to Zahle in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese roads, since the law has been increasingly less enforced since the chain of crises starting in 2019, see numerous deaths and injuries every year. In this context, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced a tightening of measures and enforcement starting in early August. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, moreover, chaired a meeting on Aug. 6 at the Grand Serail dedicated to "the worsening traffic crisis in Beirut and several Lebanese regions," attended by Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, ISF Director General Raed Abdallah, Beirut governor Marwan Abboud, as well as several security and municipal officials. A series of "emergency measures" was decided. The interior minister, for his part, met last week with the road safety commission, which has been inactive for several years, and various specialized NGOs, to find short- and long-term solutions, according to Nidaa el-Watan. YASA, a road safety association, meanwhile is warning against the worsening situation. "It appears that road safety has been included in the ministerial statement without any real impact on the ground (...) The tragic scenes of deaths on Lebanese roads are multiplying. YASA warns of a significant increase in road deaths if the situation remains unchanged," wrote association president Ziad Akl on the network X.
L'Orient-Le Jour
7 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Two Nigerians arrested in Kesrouan for smuggling 3 kgs of cocaine by ingesting it
The Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced Wednesday the arrest, at an unspecified date, of two Nigerian nationals who smuggled 156 capsules (3.4 kg) of pure cocaine into Lebanon at the end of July by ingesting them beforehand. The two were arrested in a hotel in the Kesrouan district, north of Beirut, after the Central Bureau for Drug Control obtained information about an international organization recruiting people to deliver cocaine to Lebanon, identifying an operation "from Nigeria to Lebanon, transiting through Ethiopia," the statement said. The details of the crime On July 24, 2025, at dawn, two Nigerian nationals, R. A. (born 1996) and L. N. (born 1977), arrived at Beirut's international airport after ingesting cocaine in capsule form, and went directly to a hotel in Kesrouan to extract the capsules and hand them over to a local dealer. Their arrival was monitored by investigators, who arrested the suspects "in the act." The ISF seized 156 capsules of pure cocaine, with a value estimated at more than half a million U.S. dollars. On May 22, the ISF had already arrested a man smuggling narcotics through Beirut's airport from an African country, which were found in his suitcases and in capsules he had swallowed.
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Time of India
Udupi police crack down on sand smuggling
Udupi: Police across Udupi district registered several cases over the past week in connection with illegal sand extraction and transportation, seizing several vehicles and arresting key suspects. On Aug 11, acting on a tip-off about sand being moved from Yadtadi towards Heradi, Brahmavar police intercepted a tipper tempo. The driver, identified as Amruth S, was found carrying 1.5 units of sand worth about Rs 8,000 without any valid permit. A case was registered. In another incident on Aug 7, police at Brahmavar signalled a tipper vehicle to stop near the Kukkude ISF factory. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. Officers found less than one unit of wet sand in the vehicle. At Kundapur, on Aug 5, police raided the Panchagangavalli riverbank near Church Road in Kasaba village, where sand was being loaded into two vehicles. Each vehicle contained 40 plastic bags of sand worth about Rs 2,000. Two men, Sujan Sarang,35, and Nikhil,30, of Kundapur taluk, were arrested. In Shankaranarayana, on Aug 9, police seized three trucks containing a total of nine units of sand worth Rs 45,000 from Bakude, Kulunje village. The trucks, valued at Rs 18 lakh, were allegedly being used by Charan Hegde, Mahesh Haladi, and Sudheer Hegde to transport sand illegally from the Shedimane River. On Aug 11, accused Charan Hegde was arrested near Tharekate, Belve village. All seized vehicles and sand have been taken into custody, and investigations are continuing. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Time of India
Udupi police crack down on illegal sand transportation; several cases registered
Representative image UDUPI: Police across Udupi district registered several cases over the past week in connection with illegal sand extraction and transportation, seizing several vehicles and arresting key suspects. On Aug 11, acting on a tip-off about sand being moved from Yadtadi towards Heradi, Brahmavar police intercepted a tipper tempo. The driver, identified as Amruth S., was found carrying 1.5 units of sand worth about Rs 8,000 without any valid permit. A case was registered. In another incident on Aug 7, police at Brahmavar signalled a TATA tipper to stop near the Kukkude ISF factory. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. Officers found less than one unit of wet sand in the vehicle. At Kundapur, on Aug 5, police raided the Panchagangavalli riverbank near Church Road in Kasaba village, where sand was being loaded into two vehicles. Each vehicle contained 40 plastic bags of sand worth about Rs 2,000. Two men, Sujan Sarang, 35, and Nikhil,30, of Kundapur taluk were arrested. In Shankaranarayana, on Aug 9, police seized three tipper lorries containing a total of nine units of sand worth Rs 45,000 from Bakude, Kulunje village. The lorries, valued at Rs 18 lakh, were allegedly being used by Charan Hegde, Mahesh Haladi, and Sudheer Hegde to transport sand illegally from the Shedimane river. On August 11, accused Charan Hegde was arrested near Tharekate, Belve village. All seized vehicles and sand have been taken into custody, and investigations are continuing. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
