Lebanese security operations against criminal networks

Lebanese security forces have conducted several operations to dismantle criminal and militant networks within the country.

In late August, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) Information Branch dismantled two criminal rings in the Mount Lebanon governorate. The first operation targeted a burglary gang involving Syrian nationals who used forced entry to target homes and businesses. A second operation dismantled a kidnapping and prostitution facilitation ring in Mansourie, where suspects reportedly extorted ransoms from employers.

By early September, authorities shifted focus to a clandestine smuggling and training network. The ISF arrested five individuals, including a former Syrian colonel, for illegally transporting fighters from the Syrian coast into Lebanon. These recruits were reportedly moved to a training camp in the Baalbek-Hermel region. During these raids, security forces seized an arsenal of automatic machine guns, sniper rifles, and explosives, with investigations ongoing to determine the group’s ties to Hezbollah and the Syrian regime.