Army Arrests Top Drug Dealer in Airport Road Area

A notorious drug dealer was arrested Monday in the airport road area south of Beirut, the army said.

“As part of the security measures taken across the various Lebanese regions and after surveillance, a patrol from the Intelligence Directorate arrested in the airport road area a man named Mohammed Habib, who is one of the most notorious drug dealers in the aforementioned area,” an army statement said.

A quantity of heroin and various narcotic pills were seized in his possession, the statement added.

“The detainee and the seized material were referred to the relevant authorities as investigations got underway,” the statement said.

On July 23, eight people including drug trafficking baron Ali Zayd Ismail were killed in an army raid in the Bekaa area of al-Hammoudiyeh-Brital.

The army said it detained a further 41 people -- 16 Lebanese and 25 Syrians -- and seized weapons and drugs in the July raid.