Lebanese-Syrian-Kuwaiti Coordination Dismantles International Drug Trafficking Network

Welat TV – Erbil

Lebanese authorities announced the foiling of an attempt to smuggle 85 kilograms of narcotics and the arrest of a suspect wanted in drug trafficking cases, in coordination with authorities in Syria and Kuwait.

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, April 29, 2026, Ahmad al-Hajjar, Lebanon’s Minister of Interior and Municipalities, said the operation led to the dismantling of an international network that had been preparing a shipment of drugs for smuggling to Kuwait, noting that coordination took place between anti-narcotics departments in the three countries.

Al-Hajjar added that cooperation between the Central Anti-Narcotics Office of the Judicial Police Unit within Internal Security Forces and its counterpart in Syria also resulted in the arrest of a wanted individual and his handover to Lebanon in accordance with legal procedures.

He stressed the importance of strengthening Arab security cooperation, particularly in combating drug trafficking and maintaining security, emphasizing that such coordination is a key pillar in pursuing criminal networks and intensifying joint efforts to combat them.

Drug trafficking remains a high priority on the agendas of security institutions in the Middle East, as smuggling networks operate across national borders, requiring enhanced regional and international cooperation to contain the phenomenon and track those involved.

The issue of trafficking drugs and weapons, alongside other unresolved matters, remains among the challenges facing Syria and Lebanon, despite mutual visits and repeated assurances of resolving outstanding disputes.

The report also noted that the former regime of Bashar al-Assad had been responsible for producing and smuggling Captagon pills, which significantly impacted neighboring countries through repeated cross-border trafficking operations.

While Syria’s new authorities have announced the dismantling of several Captagon production facilities across the country, production activities and smuggling attempts have continued since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024.