LEBANON THWARTS SMUGGLING OF 200,000 CAPTAGON PILLS FROM SYRIA

Mon 21 February 2022:

According to the National News Agency, Lebanon’s state security seized a cargo of 200,000 Captagon pills its route from Syria to the Lebanese border town of Arsal on Monday.

The Captagon, the trademark name for the synthetic stimulant fenethylline, was snatched when the state security was chasing the vehicle heading to the Wadi Oueini region of Arsal, Baalbek District.

However, the motorcyclist was not caught. “During the chase, the cargo fell off the vehicle and the driver managed to flee,” the statement from the army continued, adding that a search for the fugitive is underway.

LEBANON THWARTS SMUGGLING OF 700,000 CAPTAGON PILLS TO SAUDI ARABIA

In recent months, Lebanese security forces launched dozens of operations to monitor coastal and land borders with Syria to identify smuggling routes and reduce such crimes.

Earlier this month Saudi authorities said that they thwarted more attempts to smuggle millions of Captagon pills into the country.

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority said in a press release it found 2,060,000 pills of the drug hidden in boxes of gloves at the Jeddah port and an additional 423,926 pills in a shipment marked as oranges at the Duba port. Both ports are located on the Red Sea.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested three people alleged to be the intended recipients of the pills, according to the press release.

Saudi Arabia announced in April the suspension of fruit and vegetables imported or transited from Lebanon, after Saudi authorities thwarted an attempt in that month to smuggle more than five million Captagon pills in fruit shipments from Lebanon.

At the time, Lebanese authorities said the cargo entered Lebanon from Syria and was repackaged in Lebanon’s Bekaa region before heading to the Saudi port of Jeddah.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent