Aoun calls for effort against drug smuggling after Saudi ban
We are confident that Saudi Arabia, all Gulf countries know well that a ban on Lebanese produce will not stop drug smuggling and co-operation between us will help stop these networks, says Diab
President Michel Aoun asked Lebanon’s security forces to step up operations against smuggling ater Saudi Arabia banned imports of Lebanese produce due to what it called a rise in the illicit drug trade.
Aoun spoke at the start of a meeting on the topic with caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab.
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, citing an increase in drug smuggling, in a measure that will add to Lebanon’s economic woes. The fruit and vegetables trade is worth $24 million annually.
Diab said on Monday Lebanon stood ready to fight smuggling networks with Saudi Arabia but that a ban would not prevent it.
“We are confident that Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf countries know well that a ban on Lebanese produce will not stop drug smuggling and co-operation between us will help stop these networks,” he said.
The Lebanese foreign ministry said it had been informed of the ban through the Saudi embassy and the foreign minister had relayed it to top officials.
“Lebanese authorities must exert utmost efforts to control all smuggling operations... to prevent harm to innocent citizens, farmers, industrialists and the Lebanese economy,” the Lebanese foreign ministry statement said.
Saudi customs authorities at Jeddah had foiled an atempt to smuggle in more than 5.3 million Captagon pills, a type of amphetamine, hidden in pomegranate shipments from Lebanon, said Mohammed bin Ali Al Naim, undersecretary for security affairs at Saudi Customs, according to Saudi Arabia’s SPA news agency.
Saudi’s al-arabiya TV also said that with the help of Saudi’s drug enforcement agency, Greek authorities seized 4.3 tonnes of cannabis, stashed in dessert-making machinery, en route from Lebanon to Slovakia.
Lebanon’s caretaker interior minister Mohamed Fahmy told Reuters Lebanon was ready to cooperate with all states to stop drug smuggling and that it had already been exerting “tremendous efforts” but that sometimes smugglers might succeed.
One Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ban appeared to be political.
“The export of Lebanese vegetables and fruits to the Gulf countries and especially the kingdom was one of the few doors that were still open to bring dollars into the country. Closing this import line increases pressure on Lebanon,” he said.
Lebanon’s total exports to Saudi Arabia were worth 273.1 million riyals ($72.82 million) in the fourth quarter of 2020, official Saudi data showed.
Lebanon’s foreign reserves have been depleted and its currency has lost around 90% of its value since the start of the financial crisis in late 2019.
Its economic collapse is being compounded by political deadlock, with politicians unable to form a government to unlock much-needed foreign aid.
Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have so far been loath to offer aid to ease Beirut’s economic woes, keeping their distance while alarmed by the rising influence of Hezbollah, a powerful group backed by their arch-rival Iran.
Lebanese troops aborted early on Sunday an atempt to smuggle dozens of Syrian migrants to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the military said.
The atempt to smuggle 69 Syrian citizens comes as Lebanon is witnessing a severe economic and financial crisis that has thrown more people into poverty.
There have been atempts over the past year to smuggle migrants to European Union member Cyprus during which some of the migrants were killed.
The Mediterranean island and Lebanon have an agreement to curb the arrival of boats loaded with migrants from reaching Cyprus.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that soldiers and members of the army intelligence thwarted the atempt in the northern district of Arida near the border with Syria.
It added that the smuggler who took money from the migrants to take them to Cyprus has been arrested and is being questioned.