Post by : Rameen Ariff

In a significant operation, Lebanese security forces have captured Noah Zaitar, one of the nation’s most infamous drug traffickers, who had evaded arrest for years amidst international sanctions. His apprehension occurred in Baalbek, part of the Baalbek-Hermel region, on Thursday, following a meticulous military tactic that involved extensive surveillance.

Zaitar had been living in his native village of Kneisseh while maintaining control over a wide-reaching drug network that produced and exported narcotics, particularly the stimulant captagon. In addition to drug-related charges, he has been implicated in serious crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and assaults on military and civilian personnel.

The Lebanese military has classified Zaitar as one of the country's most perilous criminals, with multiple arrest warrants against him. His capture aligns with a broader initiative to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in Lebanon. Notably, a military tribunal had sentenced him to death in absentia in 2024 for the murder of a Lebanese soldier.

In 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on Zaitar due to his alleged connections with Syrian drug trafficking networks centered around captagon, contributing to a burgeoning black market in Lebanon and Syria. US authorities identified him as a known drug smuggler and arms dealer with affiliations to the Syrian Arab Army's elite Fourth Division, and as a supporter of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The operation to apprehend Zaitar was marked by violence. During the pursuit of narcotics suspects in Baalbek, two Lebanese soldiers—Bilal al-Baradi and Ali Haidar—lost their lives, while another suspect, Hassouneh Jaafar, was shot after engaging security forces. In a separate incident in Akkar governorate, two additional suspects were arrested for drug-related offenses and possession of weaponry.

Authorities have confirmed Zaitar's custody, stating that investigations are underway under the supervision of the Lebanese judiciary. This arrest represents a crucial development in Lebanon's relentless fight against organized crime, particularly drug trafficking and the associated violence plaguing the region.

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