Lebanese customs seize nearly four tons of cannabis at Beirut Port in intelligence-led operation

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Lebanese customs authorities have seized nearly four tons of cannabis at the Port of Beirut in what officials described as a preemptive intelligence operation that uncovered the shipment before it reached the port's scanning facilities.

The seizure was carried out shortly after midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday by the Customs Directorate's Anti-Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.

Customs Director General Gracia Azzi said the operation was the result of proactive security and intelligence work rather than detection by the port's X-ray scanners, highlighting the role of intelligence gathering in combating smuggling through Lebanon's main legal border crossings, including the port, airport and Masnaa border crossing.

According to security information obtained by LBCI, the investigation began after suspicious communications involving a customs broker and a first lieutenant assigned to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit raised concerns about several shipments. 

Identifying the target shipment required a complex intelligence operation, during which the Customs Risk Management Department successfully intercepted the truck carrying the concealed drugs.

The operation was completed before the truck entered the port and before it reached the scanner checkpoint. Investigators relied heavily on telecommunications data, which allegedly revealed phone contacts between two individuals who transported the shipment from the Bekaa Valley and a third person who was expected to receive it at the port. All three suspects have been arrested.

Authorities said the cannabis was concealed inside plastic bags, plastic pipes and cardboard rolls in an effort to evade detection. According to the investigation, the drugs were packed at a warehouse in the Zahle Industrial City. The warehouse was subsequently raided and sealed on the orders of the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj.

Investigators believe the shipment was destined for an African country before being re-exported to either Egypt or Europe. Authorities said the final destination and the broader smuggling network are expected to become clearer as the investigation progresses.

After completing its initial investigation, the Customs Directorate referred the case to Public Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj, who in turn transferred the file to Lebanon's Central Anti-Narcotics Bureau to expand the investigation and identify those involved in the trafficking operation.