The Lebanese Army has arrested Nouh Zeaiter, one of the country’s most notorious fugitives, in a carefully planned operation in the eastern city of Baalbek, local media reported Thursday.

According to information obtained by kataeb.org, Army Intelligence tracked Zeaiter for several days before intercepting him in a covert ambush on the Knaysseh–Baalbek road. The arrest unfolded without resistance, and no shots were fired, the sources said. Zeaiter is being interrogated and is expected to be referred to the judiciary.

Al-Jadeed television said he was transferred to the Defense Ministry shortly after the raid. His lawyer, Ashraf al-Moussawi, told the broadcaster that Zeaiter was in good condition and had not been injured during the arrest.

For years, Zeaiter has eluded Lebanese authorities, accumulating a long record of involvement in illicit trafficking. Before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, he was widely known for cultivating cannabis and running smuggling networks.

International scrutiny intensified in 2023 when both the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on him. Western officials accused Zeaiter of playing a central role in the regional Captagon trade, allegedly cooperating with figures linked to the Assad family and their network in Syria.