Grave concerns: Illegal Syrian immigration networks pose growing threats in Akkar

In the Akkar region, a network of illegal migration routes, including those facilitating the entry of Syrian refugees, has become a significant concern. 

These routes offer a way to bypass the Lebanese Army's checkpoint at Chadra, allowing unauthorized individuals to enter deeper into Lebanese territory in Ouainat.

Two significant figures, Ali D and his brother Hussein, have been identified as responsible for collecting and smuggling Syrians into Lebanon. 

While Ali claimed to have halted his involvement in smuggling, security, and technical data suggest that he has merely changed his operating methods, remaining active alongside his brother and other relatives in the smuggling business. 

Many individuals detained for involvement in the Ouainat route have directly implicated Ali as a facilitator.

However, Ali's brother, Hussein, poses a more significant threat due to his criminal history. 

Hussein has been sentenced to ten years of hard labor in connection with his involvement in executing the Fatah al-Islam carrying out the 2007 bombing of Al-Tal in Tripoli, which resulted in the deaths of Lebanese military personnel. The attack was carried out as retribution for the group's loss in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp battle. 

Another individual from the same family, Moustafa, also has a checkered history. He is believed to have been responsible for smuggling the leader of the Fatah al-Islam organization, Shaker al-Absi, into Syria after his escape from the Nahr al-Bared camp.

The criminal backgrounds of these smugglers are a matter of grave concern as their activities go beyond facilitating illegal border crossings under the pretext of Syria's crisis, with thousands of individuals crossing these routes daily. 

The residents of Ouainat, Akkar, including those from neighboring villages such as Chadra, Rmah, Munjez, Debbabieh, Noura, and Kfarnoun, where smuggling crossings are widespread, must understand the dangers posed by these smuggling networks and mafias, which also applies to Wadi Khaled, Akroum, and Bekaa.

The discovery and apprehension of these networks' leaders and members are essential.

The judiciary is urged to impose strict sentences and avoid swift releases of those detained for smuggling offenses to prevent their return to these illegal activities.