Seven Charged in Connection to Smuggling Explosives into Roumieh

Seven people have been charged on Wednesday with attempting to smuggle explosive material into Roumieh prison, reported the National News Agency.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged six inmates and a security guard in the case of smuggling carbide, hidden in a sandwich, into the jail.

The suspects were charged with forming an organization aimed at carrying out terrorist activity and bombing the prison in order to escape.

Saqr said a security guard and inmate Charbel Shalita were responsible for smuggling the carbide through the sandwich ahead of sending it to other inmates.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) identified the inmates as Khaled Youssef, Mohammed Merhi, Bilal Ibrahim, Salim Saleh, and Nouri al-Hajji.

It added that they bribed Shalita and the security guard, identified as Patrick Haddad, to smuggle the carbide into the prison.

The suspects have since been referred to First Military Investigation Judge Riyad Abou Ghida.

On Thursday, the Internal Security Forces thwarted an attempt by a prison guard to smuggle 150 grams of carbide hidden inside a sandwich that was being delivered to Shalita.

Investigations revealed that the smuggled substance was later going to be delivered to Fatah al-Islam inmates held in Roumieh.