Lebanon army arrests drug kingpin Nouh Zaiter
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- The Lebanese Army arrested Nouh Zaiter, Lebanon's most notorious drug trafficker and a man subject to US, UK, and E.U. sanctions.
- Zaiter was apprehended in the Bekaa Valley, where he ran an empire specializing in manufacturing and smuggling Captagon between Lebanon and Syria.
The Lebanese Army arrested Nouh Zaiter, Lebanon's most prominent drug trafficker, during a security operation in the country's eastern region on Thursday, a military source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Army specified in a brief statement that it "arrested citizen [N.Z.], one of the most dangerous wanted men, in an ambush on the road to Al-Knayseh," the town in the Baalbek area where he originated and had been entrenched for many years under the protection of armed men from his powerful clan.
Empire Built on Captagon and Narcotics
The military source said Zaiter was arrested in the Bekaa Valley, the region where he managed an empire dedicated to the manufacturing and smuggling of narcotics, including Captagon pills, the trade of which has flourished in recent years between Lebanon and Syria.
Born in 1977, Zaiter is Lebanon's most famous drug trafficker and smuggler and has been a fugitive from justice, with dozens of arrest warrants and in absentia verdicts issued against him.
In March 2024, a military court sentenced him to death in absentia for multiple crimes, including opening fire on Lebanese Army personnel with the intent to kill.
Subject of International Sanctions
Zaiter has been the target of coordinated international sanctions:
On March 28, 2023, the US Treasury imposed joint sanctions with the UK on two cousins of the former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including Zaiter, for drug trafficking.
On April 24 of the same year, the European Union imposed similar sanctions on the three individuals for the same charge. The French Ministry of Finance stated he was involved in Captagon trade in Lebanon and Syria.
During past media interviews, Zaiter consistently denied the charges against him, which included drug trafficking, car theft, and clashes with the army.
He was also one of the most vocal advocates calling for a general amnesty from Lebanese authorities.
