Saudi prince arrested in Lebanon trying to smuggle two tonnes of amphetamine pills out of the country by private jet
A Beirut airport official said they had foiled one of the country’s largest smuggling attempts
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Saudi prince was reportedly among five people arrested in Lebanon over an attempt to smuggle two tonnes of amphetamine pills out of the country on the prince’s private jet, according to Lebanese authorities.
A Beirut airport official said they had foiled one of the country’s largest smuggling attempts when they stopped the consignment of Captagon pills from being loaded onto the plane
The official said the prince and four others were arrested and later referred to court. None was named.
The drugs were distributed between 32 packages and eight suitcases, a security source told the AFP news agency, adding: “The smuggling operation is the largest one that has been foiled through Beirut International Airport.” Lebanon’s state news agency, NNA, also reported the drug bust, saying the private plane was to head to Hail in northern Saudi Arabia and was carrying 40 suitcases of Captagon.
Captagon is the brand name for the amphetamine phenethylline, a banned drug consumed mainly in the Middle East and reportedly widely used by fighters in Syria.
The drug is popular in Lebanon and war-torn Syria, which have become a gateway for the drug to the Middle East and particularly the Gulf. The UN Office of Drugs and Crime said in a 2014 report that the amphetamine market is on the rise in the Middle East.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments