Lebanon arrests notorious drug lord Nouh Zaiter
Lebanon has captured Nouh Zaiter, the country's most notorious drug lord, near Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, according to three sources.
The news was confirmed by two senior security sources and Baalbek-Hermel governor Bachir Khodr, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The Lebanese Army said it had captured one of the country's “most dangerous” and “wanted men”, with the initials NZ, in the operation on Thursday afternoon.
Zaiter was sentenced in absentia to life in prison with hard labour by a Lebanese military court for drug crimes in 2021. He was able to evade authorities because of the significant firepower and influence he was believed to hold.
The Zaiter clan was long renowned for having a strong grip on the drug trade in Lebanon, and for clashing with the Lebanese Army and rival groups.
Mr Zaiter was also believed to have good relations with Hezbollah, which long has had a stronghold in the Bekaa Valley – long known as an area where much of the drug trade in Lebanon comes from, in part because it lies next to the porous border with Syria.
The arrest comes two days after two Lebanese soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in clashes with fugitives in the Al Sharawneh neighbourhood of Baalbek. The soldiers were killed in a raid that saw a large amount of ammunition and drugs seized in the operation.
News.Az
