Suspicious money transfer unveiled: Man arrested in Beirut Airport after returning from Istanbul with $2.5 million

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

A man identified as M.H. traveled to Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Thursday night, carrying only his passport and a flight ticket to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. He had no checked luggage or even a carry-on bag.

Upon arriving at Istanbul Airport, M.H. proceeded directly to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, located in the Pendik district on the Asian side of Istanbul, about 35 kilometers from the city center.

At Sabiha Gökçen, M.H. collected a carry-on bag containing $2.5 million. He immediately booked a return flight to Beirut with Pegasus Airlines.

According to LBCI, M.H. was monitored by airport security in Beirut as he prepared to depart for Istanbul. 

His travel raised suspicions due to the short duration of the trip—less than 24 hours—and the fact that he was traveling without luggage, returning with only a carry-on bag.

Upon returning to Beirut, M.H. was inspected by customs officers, who discovered the money hidden in his bag. The money and the individual were handed over to General Security, and investigations are ongoing under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor.

LBCI reports that during questioning, M.H. admitted to being tasked with traveling to Istanbul to pick up money from Sabiha Gökçen Airport and bring it back to Lebanon. 

However, M.H. refused to disclose the identity of the person or group in Lebanon to whom the money was being delivered. He stated that the money belonged only to Shiite institutions. 

He also indicated that he did not know whether the money originated from inside Turkey or from outside the country, passing through Turkey.

The case of transferring money from Turkey to Lebanon has prompted investigations by both the Turkish and Lebanese Interpol. 

LBCI learned that Turkish Interpol had requested access to the investigation details in order to identify those who helped M.H. and facilitated the passage of the bag through Sabiha Gökçen Airport and into Beirut.

The accusation that Turkey is cooperating with Iran to smuggle money into Hezbollah is not new. Two weeks ago, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Turkey of working with Iran to support Hezbollah and revitalize its power. 

Israeli media sources also reported that Iran has used Turkish airspace to transfer weapons and money to Hezbollah.