Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar on Monday announced the dismantling of an international drug trafficking network spanning Lebanon, Turkey, Australia, and Jordan, following months of intensive surveillance. The operation led to the arrest of the network’s ringleader and several members, and the seizure of millions of Captagon pills destined for Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hajjar visited the Information Branch’s Protection and Intervention Division where he held a security meeting before addressing the press.

“The Information Branch has conducted multiple operations effectively and discreetly, resulting in arrests linked to terrorism, espionage, and criminal activity,” he said.

The minister added that the recent arrests were part of proactive measures against individuals and small groups involved in terrorism and collaborators with Israel.

“Crime has no region, sect, or identity,” he said. “Our anti-drug efforts are comprehensive and extend across all Lebanese territories. The network we dismantled had clear international dimensions.”

Authorities seized approximately 6.5 million Captagon tablets intended for shipment via the Port of Beirut. The seizures and arrests were carried out simultaneously, based on local intelligence and the branch’s investigations, before the narcotics reached the port.

Al-Hajjar also highlighted recent army operations that dismantled a drug laboratory, uncovering narcotics potentially linked to remnants of the toppled Syrian regime. He emphasized that all violators of the law will face prosecution and that no individual enjoys immunity.

Regarding reports of a Hezbollah cell arrested in Syria, al-Hajjar said Lebanese authorities had not been informed. He noted that the Information Branch maintains close coordination with security agencies in Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan.

“The recent operation was carried out professionally, and the drugs were intercepted before they could be exported,” he said.