Human trafficking ring busted in south Lebanon

While waiting for the Lebanese delegation to return from Indonesia on Tuesday along with 16 Lebanese, the Army intelligence arrested a human trafficking ring formed of Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian nationals in south Lebanon for smuggling people to Italy.

In details, around 3am an army intelligence naval patrol on al-Zahrani coast intercepted a boat carrying people from various nationalities saying that they are heading to Italy.

After being suspected, the patrol arrested Lebanese nationals: Ziad Abdo al-Hajj, Mohamad Abdul Rahman Zeini, Ahmad Abdou Renno and his brother Issam and Bassem Habli, the Palestinian al-Saadi and the Syrian citizens: Mohamad Ali al-Sheikh and his brother Allam, Awad Msallam Matar, Khaled Jamal Abdul Razzak and his brother Mustafa and Ahmad Mohamad Ibrahim in addition to the Lebanese Mohamad Talal Barbour who owns the boat.

All men were arrested for the attempt of illegal migration through the Lebanese regional waters towards Italy.

The boat was confiscated and the detainees were sent to the concerned parties in the army intelligence directorate for further investigation.