Rami Dabbas – Hezbollah is involved in the drug trade in Damascus and other countries in the Middle East
Numerous media and security reports confirmed the involvement of the Lebanese Hezbollah in the manufacture and trade of drugs on a regional and global level.{1}
The latest of these reports relates to the establishment of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, and the forces of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Army, one of the new factories for the production of narcotic substances in the western countryside of the Damascus governorate, according to the “Mina Observatory” website.{2}
Last February, Dubai Police found more than 5 tons of Captagon tablets from the Lebanese Hezbollah
The Observatory reported that private sources said that the new factory was built 3 kilometers from the town of “Sargaya”, in an area called “Kharabat”, near the borderline between Syria and Lebanon.{3}
The party’s militia brought in “chemical cooks” from the Lebanese territories early this month, and assigned one of the checkpoints of the Fourth Division led by Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the task of securing the road leading to the new factory while preventing the entry of people to the area.
In the context, Syrian activists circulated information indicating the spread of drugs and their manufacturing materials in the areas under the control of the regime, amid talk of the existence of factories and raw materials involved in the manufacture of prohibited materials that are manufactured under the direct supervision of Hezbollah militias, in addition to controlling shipments of narcotic substances repeatedly.
It is noteworthy that the Hezbollah militias impose their control over most of the mountainous border areas between Lebanon and Syria, in partnership with the Fourth Division, and are active in the region the drug and weapons trade supervised by the leaders of the Iranian-backed party, with the aim of financing the operations of the militias and their members.
The Lebanese Hezbollah militia, in cooperation with a squad in the Syrian army, establishes a new factory for the production of narcotic substances in the Damascus governorate
A source close to the Hezbollah had confirmed to the “MENA Observatory” earlier that Hezbollah’s dependence on drugs to fund militias is neither new nor spur of the moment, but it has intensified further and drugs and hashish have become a major nerve in its financing after Iran reduced the financial support provided to it and its military operations.{4}
The source indicated that Iran had reduced its financial support for the militia by 40%, coinciding with its economic crisis caused by the US sanctions.{5}
In the same context, the source stressed that the party has worked during the past 4 years to identify several markets for drug promotion and expand its activities, in order to provide more funds.{6}
The internal drug smuggling operations were not limited to the areas of influence of the Hezbollah militia and the Syrian army but also reached many countries that announced the seizure of massive shipments of drugs, including; Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and other countries.
It is reported that the Italian authorities revealed the seizure of a drug shipment amounting to 15 tons of the drug (amphetamine / Captagon); That is, approximately 84 million pills, with a financial value of about one billion US dollars, explaining that investigations have shown that the Bashar al-Assad regime and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah are standing behind them.{7}
The Italian Nova agency quoted informed sources as saying that Samer Kamal al-Assad, the cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is behind the shipment of one billion euros, noting that he runs a factory in the village of Al-Busa, south of Lattakia, to produce narcotic substances.{8}
Hezbollah’s dependence on drugs is neither new nor emerging, but it has intensified even more after Iran reduced its financial support
In mid-November, the advisor to the Saudi royal court, Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Mutlaq, confirmed the involvement of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in drug smuggling operations to Saudi Arabia.{9}
Al-Mutlaq’s statements coincided with the announcement by the legitimate Yemeni government of detaining a ship and arresting 7 sailors on board, off the coast of Al-Mahra, on charges of smuggling, pointing out that large quantities of narcotic substances were found during searches by the Yemeni Coast Guard.
The Jordanian border guards had announced during the past years that it had thwarted the smuggling of large quantities of drugs into the country, across the Syrian border.{10}
In the same context, the Italian authorities had seized a large shipment of drugs in early August, after its arrival in the Italian port of Salerno, hidden in large industrial paper reels.{11}
After searching the shipment, belonging to Hezbollah, the police found about 84 million amphetamine / Captagon tablets, with an estimated value of $ 1.1 billion, and more. At the beginning of the investigation, the police indicated that the possible suspect was the “ISIS” organization, according to a report by the “Washington Post”.{12}
However, within days, suspicions began to shift towards various Middle Eastern groups. Intelligence officials concluded that the drugs were manufactured in Syria, in factories located in areas controlled by the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The amphetamines left Syria from the port of Latakia, a coastal city with dedicated Iranian port facilities, and a well-known center for smuggling operations carried out by Tehran’s ally, Hezbollah.
Italian investigations showed that the shipment that was seized a few days ago belongs to the Assad regime and its ally, Hezbollah.
It is not yet known whether Hezbollah was directly involved in the Italian shipment or not, but investigators say the episode fits into a pattern of recent drug cases in the Middle East and Europe linked to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
American and Middle Eastern analysts said, according to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper: The Hezbollah group is facing severe financial pressure due to US sanctions, the Coronavirus epidemic, and the economic collapse in Lebanon, and it appears that Hezbollah is increasingly dependent on criminal institutions, including Drug smuggling, to finance its operations.{13}
Law enforcement officials have linked Hezbollah to a series of major drug seizures, in locations ranging from the empty desert along the Syrian-Jordanian border {14} to central and southern Europe. Intelligence analysts say: Many of the cases are related to fake Captagon, an industrial drug that Hezbollah militants began to manufacture more than a decade ago.
In February, the police in Dubai found more than 5 tons of Captagon tablets in hidden compartments inside the reels of industrial cables, the source of which was according to Lebanese Hezbollah security sources, according to Al Bayan newspaper.{15}
The Saudi Royal Court advisor reveals the Lebanese Hezbollah’s involvement in drug smuggling operations into Saudi Arabia
And in June, a report by the European law enforcement agency (Europol) warned that Hezbollah operatives were trading diamonds and drugs and laundering money using European countries as a base.{16}
When it comes to making money, they (Hezbollah) don’t care about sectarian or religious differences. We have seen them working with criminals from Hezbollah.
Note: I used sources from Arab Media like North Africa and middle east Media observatory and other western media.
Yours sincerely,
Rami Dabbas
