Drug trafficking in Lebanon: seizure of millions of captagon tablets in fake oranges
The fake oranges filled with captagon pills were hidden in crates containing real fruit.
The cargo was intercepted by customs and the drug squad in the port of Beirut on December 29, 2021. AFP - ANWAR AMRO
Text by: RFI Follow
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They were hidden in oranges: nine million captagon tablets were intercepted by Lebanese customs on Wednesday, December 29.
The shipment of this amphetamine-based drug was reportedly destined for export to a Gulf country.
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The Lebanese Minister of the Interior announced this seizure during a press conference.
Captagon is an amphetamine-based drug produced mainly in Syria, but also in Lebanon and Iraq, and exported mainly to Saudi Arabia.
Customs officials therefore discovered nine million tablets hidden in cargoes of oranges in the port of Beirut.
Small bags had been concealed inside artificial fruit.
►
To listen: Detox: the captagon is not the "
drug of the jihadists
"
Diplomatic issues
On December 23, the Dubai police had already announced the arrest of four people for trying to illegally import captagon tablets hidden in fake lemons.
A week earlier, Lebanese customs seized 45,000 pills.
This announcement by the Lebanese minister has diplomatic importance.
Beirut is accused by Riyadh of turning a blind eye to this network.
Saudi Arabia announced last April the
suspension
of fruit and vegetable
imports
from Lebanon after the seizure of more than five million captagon pills in fake pomegranates.
Since then, the Lebanese authorities have tried to prove their good will in the fight against this trafficking.
Before the suspension, Saudi Arabia was the top foreign customer of Lebanese agricultural products with more than 22% of exports.
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