Lebanese Army Launches Wide Campaign on Drugs Mills in Bekaa Valley

The Lebanese army announced today, Friday, that its units are implementing a wide operation in various parts of the Bekaa valley to detect mills of drugs in the region.

The recent campaign came within efforts exerted by the Lebanese authorities to fight the industry and trafficking of narcotics from the country to the foreign countries.

It is worth noting the Lebanese Ministry of Interior declared last week that its personnel stopped a shipment of drugs at Sidon port on the Mediterranean Sea  before it was smuggled Alexandria in Egypt.

A crisis arose between Lebanon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) when the Saudi authorities spotted huge quantities of drugs came from Lebanon and hidden in vegetables and fruits imported from Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia decided last April to suspend imports of foodstuffs from Lebanon until another notice.

The Saudi ambassador to Beirut, Walid Al-Bukhari, announced at the time that his country had seized, within 6 years, more than 600 million narcotic pills and hundreds of kilograms of hashish, sourced from Lebanon.

However, Lebanon's President Michel Aoun has announced recently that his country is very serious to fight trafficking of drugs and thwart all attempts to  harm  Lebanon's reputation and its relations with brotherly and friendly countries."

On the other hand, Lebanese security and the Directorate of Customs in Beirut International Airport hindered an attempt to smuggle narcotic pills by hiding it in small electric generators.

The shipment was on its way to Dammam city in the KSA.

Mohamed Fahmy, Lebanon's Minister of Interior and Municipalities congratulated security forces on thwarting that operation.

On May 22, Lebanese security forces thwarted another attempt to traffic four tons of hashish  to Lebanon.

The narcotics were tucked in iron boxes ahead of conveying them from Sidon to Alexandria in Egypt.

Lebanon's president stressed that fruitful cooperation between security agencies  led to that success.

He pledged to fight trafficking in all forms to save Lebanon's reputation  in the world.