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Lebanon foils "unprecedented" drug smuggling attempt

Xinhua, February 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) said on Monday that it foiled an "unprecedented" attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of cannabis by sea to Libya.

In an official statement, the ISF said the anti-narcotics bureau managed to foil the smuggling of around two tons of raw hashish, noting that the operation occurred on Saturday.

These drugs were prepared to be smuggled by sea to Libya inside an apple shipment, said the statement, ading that the seized shipment was estimated at seven million U.S. dollars.

The ISF described the attempt as "unprecedented" in Lebanon's history, and revealed that it arrested the main culprit in the botched operation, identifying him as a 56-year-old Syrian national.

Most of residents in the Bekaa region, where Hashish or cannabis is produced in large quantities, argued that the industry is their only source of employment.

During Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, the Lebanese hashish, which is known for its quality, fed a flourishing industry that generated hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Lebanon has launched several eradication campaigns, and in past years, the army bulldozed thousands of hectares of cannabis. Farmers had often taken up arms to defend their crops. Endit