In a striking escalation of Lebanon’s ongoing battle against drug trafficking, a Lebanese Army drone pursued a suspicious vehicle in the eastern city of Baalbek, believed to belong to one of the country’s most notorious narcotics traffickers. The operation targeted either Nouh Zeaiter or the fugitive known as “Abu Salleh,” but the suspect ultimately managed to elude capture amid conflicting field reports.

Security sources told Kataeb.org that the drone operation was part of a broader crackdown in the Sharawneh neighborhood, a stronghold long associated with Lebanon’s most dangerous fugitives. The security perimeter around the area remains firmly in place, with raids continuing in an attempt to apprehend high-profile suspects.

“The army is actively pursuing Lebanon’s most wanted men,” a senior security official said, confirming that the cordon around Sharawneh has not been lifted. “These operations will continue until the objectives are met.”

Despite a series of intensive raids in recent months, both Zeaiter and Abu Salleh,  widely believed to head sprawling drug trafficking and smuggling networks, have so far evaded arrest. Their continued freedom has raised questions about the limits of state authority and the challenges facing security forces operating in lawless regions.

Has the time finally come for a full-scale reckoning?