Lebanon is stepping up efforts to intercept weapons and explosives allegedly smuggled by Hezbollah from Syria, as security and judicial authorities investigate a major explosives seizure at a checkpoint east of Beirut and seek to identify those responsible.

The latest case involves the seizure of half a ton of highly explosive materials from a van at a checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar, in eastern Lebanon. The shipment contained 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C4, along with small steel balls and nails commonly used in improvised explosive devices, according to a security source cited by Asharq Al-Awsat.

The seizure came amid a broader crackdown on cross-border smuggling, with the Lebanese army also intercepting another shipment of explosives and ammunition brought from Syria into Lebanon.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar said efforts to disarm unauthorized armed groups, combat terrorism and pursue those who violate the law were irreversible and would accelerate.

He also pledged that the investigation into the seized explosives, along with all related inquiries, would be pursued to its conclusion.

Hezbollah-linked detainees questioned over shipment

The operation took place on Thursday evening, when officers at a checkpoint operated by Lebanon's Internal Security Forces in Dahr al-Baidar became suspicious of a Dodge van traveling from the Bekaa Valley toward Beirut, the security source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the explosives and other materials. The two men inside, identified as Ali K. and Haitham A., were detained.

According to the source, both men acknowledged their affiliation with Hezbollah and said the group had tasked them with transporting the shipment from the Baalbek area to Beirut's southern suburbs. However, they initially refused to identify the individuals who had assigned them the mission or disclose the explosives' precise source.

The men said they had been instructed by an unidentified person to deliver the materials using a method known as a "dead drop," in which a shipment is left at a designated location for collection without direct contact between the person delivering it and the intended recipient.

Subsequent questioning yielded further details about the shipment's alleged origin and destination.

Investigators seek identities of “Sajed” and “Zulfiqar”

Preliminary investigations are being conducted by the Lebanese army's Military Police under the supervision of Claude Ghanem, the government commissioner to the Military Court.

A judicial source familiar with the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that the two detainees later admitted that the explosives belonged to Hezbollah.

They said a Hezbollah official operating in the Bekaa region, known as "Sajed," had handed them the shipment and instructed them to transport it to Beirut's southern suburbs. The explosives were to be delivered to a man known as "Zulfiqar," who is also believed to hold a position of responsibility within the group, the source said.

Investigators are working to establish the real identities of both individuals, determine their roles and verify whether others were involved in preparing or transporting the shipment. They are also seeking to establish why such a large quantity of explosives was being brought into Beirut.

Ghanem received the preliminary investigation records on Saturday and reviewed their contents before returning them to the Military Police, asking investigators to question the detainees further and scrutinize the information they had provided, the judicial source said.

The investigation remains in the evidence-gathering stage, with authorities working to verify the detainees' statements and corroborate key details before completing the preliminary inquiry and determining potential criminal liability.

The findings are expected to pave the way for charges against those involved and their referral to the military judiciary, the source added.

Lebanese army intercepts additional shipments from Syria

The seizure in Dahr al-Baidar is part of wider efforts by the Lebanese army to prevent explosives and weapons from being smuggled across the Syrian border.

Since the beginning of the year, the army has thwarted two smuggling operations involving explosives and ammunition originating in Syria.

In early October, the military announced that it had seized approximately 245 kilograms of TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wires that had been smuggled into Lebanon from Syrian territory.

Last Friday, an army unit intercepted another shipment in the Qasr-Hermel area near the Syrian border. The operation resulted in the seizure of a quantity of rocket-propelled munitions and an additional 24 kilograms of highly explosive TNT.