Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) on Monday (June 4th) announced the arrest of several foreign nationals who belong to an international criminal organisation that smuggles cocaine into Lebanon, Naharnet reported.
"After thorough monitoring, a group of foreign nationals belonging to a criminal organisation specialised in smuggling large amounts of cocaine to Lebanon were arrested," the ISF said in a statement.
The suspects smuggled the cocaine in liquor bottles, the statement said.
"This organisation is the only one to smuggle cocaine in such a complicated manner — filled in liquor bottles and placed in duty free bags of foreign airports," the ISF statement said.
Upon arrival in Lebanon, the gang members stayed at different hotels where they separated the cocaine from the liquids, converting it into raw materials to later be sold to Lebanese drug dealers.
The foreign suspects include four Italian nationals, two Brazilians, one Argentinian and a German.
One of the Lebanese dealers linked to the network, who was wanted on 75 criminal and drug arrest warrants, was arrested in Mansourieh early in May.
One of the Italian suspects was arrested in mid-May after arriving at the Rafic Hariri International Airport from Paraguay. Three large containers in his possession that contained the cocaine-liquid mix were confiscated.
The search is ongoing for other suspects in the case.
