Army Says Arsal Nitrates Agricultural as Charges Filed in Iaat Case

Army Says Arsal Nitrates Agricultural as Charges Filed in Iaat Case

The army on Tuesday announced that a quantity of ammonium nitrate seized in the eastern border town of Arsal is not explosive, as charges were filed in the case of the ammonium nitrate truck confiscated in the Bekaa town of Iaat.

“As a result of lab tests conducted on the specimens taken from the warehouse, it turned out that the quantity contains fertilizers that are free of any chemical substances related to the manufacturing of explosives,” the army said in a statement.

Separately, Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim charged Maroun Sakr, Ahmed al-Zein and Saadallah al-Solh with “smuggling and monopolizing goods, money laundering and violating the customs law,” referring the file to acting First Examining Magistrate of the Bekaa Amani Salameh.

Sakr, Zein and Solh had been arrested in connection with 20 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been seized in Iaat.

Importing ammonium nitrate requires an official permission from the Economy Ministry with the approval of the Defense Ministry and the Council of Ministers. Any quantity with a nitrogen concentration higher than 33.5% is considered explosives rather than fertilizers.