Lebanon arrests alleged drug kingpin sanctioned by US State Department

"Noah Zaitar allegedly ran a drug empire, producing and exporting narcotics, including the synthetic stimulant captagon. The Lebanese army has detained the country's most infamous drug lord, two years after he was sanctioned by the United States over suspected links to narcotics rings in Syria. In a post on X on Thursday, the Lebanese army confirmed they had arrested a citizen with the initials NZ, and three security sources confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the individual in question was the fugitive Noah Zaitar."

"The detainee is one of the most dangerous wanted individuals, pursuant to a large number of arrest warrants, for crimes of forming gangs operating across numerous Lebanese regions in drug and arms trafficking, manufacturing narcotic substances, and robbery and theft by force of arms, the military said. He had also previously opened fire on army elements and facilities, as well as citizens' homes, and kidnapped individuals for financial ransom."

"A military tribunal sentenced Zaitar who had evaded arrest for years while living in his home village of Kneisseh surrounded by armed supporters to death in 2024 for killing a Lebanese soldier. He was also named in US Department of State sanctions in 2023 against the regime of ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and individuals connected to his lucrative captagon trafficking network. The State Department said Zaitar was a known arms dealer and drug smuggler, with close ties to the Fourth Divis"

Noah Zaitar was arrested in an ambush in Baalbek after targeted surveillance and monitoring operations. He faced numerous arrest warrants for forming gangs across Lebanon, drug and arms trafficking, manufacturing narcotics, robbery, theft by armed force, opening fire on army elements and civilians' homes, and kidnapping for ransom. Zaitar allegedly led a drug empire in the Bekaa Valley producing and exporting captagon. A military tribunal sentenced him to death in 2024 for killing a Lebanese soldier. The US sanctioned him in 2023, naming him a known arms dealer and drug smuggler with close ties to the Fourth Division.

Read at www.aljazeera.com