Report: 2 Separate Kidnap-for-Ransom Networks Based in Bekaa

Armed forces have discovered two separate networks based in the eastern Bekaa valley operating in the kidnap-for-ransom operations, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported Friday.

Security forces raided the house of Mansour Saleh, the kidnapper of Ali Mansour, in Western Bekaa at dawn but did not find him, it said.

However, An Nahar daily said police identified him as Mashhour Saleh, who hails from the town of Brital in Baalbek, after removing his fingerprints from the vehicle of the abductee that was left by the side of a road.

Mansour was kidnapped on Tuesday night on the junction of the town of Gaza in Western Bekaa. The kidnappers first asked for a $15 million ransom but later lowered the amount to $600,000.

An Army Intelligence unit also raided the house of one of the suspects involved in the kidnapping of Youssef Beshara.

While the soldiers did not find him at the house, they discovered $380,600 in cash, around $20,000 short of the ransom that Beshara's wife had paid the abductors in return for setting him free.

But according to the National News Agency, a second suspect was arrested and the money was returned to its owners.

Beshara, the brother of the head of the Bakeries Association, was released for a ransom of $400,000, which was paid by his wife near Mar Mikhael church in Beirut's al-Shiyyah district.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel promised on Thursday for the results of a security plan aimed at fighting the kidnap-for-ransom phenomenon in Lebanon to begin appearing in the coming few days.

The Army Intelligence freed on Wednesday Fouad Daoud, a man abducted last week for ransom, following clashes with his kidnappers in the area of Tall al-Abyad in Baalbek.