Pascal Sleiman’s case shakes Lebanese public amid new leads — what do investigators know?

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

In April 2024, a case shook Lebanese public opinion: Pascal Sleiman, the Lebanese Forces party official in Jbeil, was kidnapped, and his car was stolen in Haqel, in the Jbeil district, after his vehicle was intercepted by a gang. 

His body and car were later found in Syrian territory near the Lebanese border.

Following news of the kidnapping and theft, security agencies began tracking leads in the case. 

The Lebanese army’s Intelligence Directorate arrested most members of the gang: Bilal Dello (whose wife is Nour Mahmoud Sleiman), Jaafar Mohammad Jahjah, Ismail Mohammad Jihad Mahfouz, as well as Mohammad Khaled, Nour Sleiman and Moujahed Ghazal.

Testimonies from the detainees revealed that the gang specialized in stealing cars and selling them to a network in Syria, whose prominent member is Ahmad Noun. 

The vehicle used in the Sleiman operation had been stolen from Rabieh. According to the directorate’s investigation, there was no technical evidence that the gang had tracked or monitored Sleiman prior to the incident. Testimonies also indicated that the gang had attempted to steal two other cars shortly before targeting Sleiman’s.

Statements further revealed that Dello, Firas Mimo, and Khaled beat Sleiman on the head, causing his death, according to the forensic report.

More than a year later, a new development emerged: the Intelligence Directorate received the gang’s mastermind, Ahmad Noun, from Syrian authorities. During the investigation, Noun denied any prior knowledge of Sleiman or any intent to kill or kidnap him.

Noun confessed to running a car theft operation and transporting vehicles into Syria through multiple associates, one of whom is known as Abou Karim. 

After Sleiman’s car was stolen, Abou Karim contacted Noun and informed him that they had taken a luxury vehicle and brought its owner with it. He asked Noun to meet him at the border to receive the stolen vehicle.

When the thieves arrived at the border, they went to Noun’s house, where they discovered that Sleiman had died. A verbal altercation broke out among the group, and they decided to dispose of the body in the Nasriyah area.