The Lebanese judiciary has referred the case involving $2.5 million seized at Beirut Airport last month to the Special Court for Money Laundering, following charges by the Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor’s Office related to money laundering and the transfer of large sums without proper declaration, a judicial source told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath. 

The money was found in the possession of Mohammad Arif Hussein, who claimed it belonged to Shiite charitable associations but said he did not know its origin. Hussein stated that an unidentified Iranian man had handed him the cash at Turkey’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, without mentioning the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council.

Three days after the seizure, the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council informed authorities that the funds belonged to the Council, not Hezbollah, saying they were donations from foreign associations. However, the Council has yet to provide official documents to support its claim.

The judicial source added that the court will keep the funds frozen until their source and intended recipient are clearly established. An indictment is expected soon after the Special Court verifies the available evidence.

Hussein is set to undergo further questioning once the court schedules a hearing and requests additional documents. According to legal procedures, all foreign donations for charities or religious institutions must be declared in advance, with their origin specified before entry into Lebanon.