Lebanon ‘an open door’ to Syrian arms smugglers
BEIRUT: An attack on a Lebanese border patrol by two men trying to enter the country from Syria has raised questions about the scale of arms trafficking in Lebanon.
Four soldiers were hurt when an explosive device was thrown at the patrol during a confrontation near Marj Al-Tut on the Lebanese-Syrian border late on Friday.
One man, a Syrian, was arrested after the incident, which took place on a well-known smuggling route. A search is underway for the second man.
Four boxes containing more than 2,800 rounds of ammunition were seized by the patrol.
The incident has raised concerns about the growth in illegal arms trafficking between Syria and Lebanon.
A Lebanese military source told Arab News that the arrested man is being interrogated over the arms smuggling operation.
“Military patrols usually find goods and contraband, but this is the first time that smuggled ammunition from Syria to Lebanon has been detected,” the source said.
Firearms have been involved in several recent incidents in Lebanon, such as gunfire during the funerals of Beirut port explosion victims, and armed clashes between Hezbollah supporters and authorities in Khaldeh.
The military source said that smugglers are finding ways to evade controls, and security services have warned of a growing problem in regions that lack government authority.
“Two or three months ago, we noticed that weapons are being used to address individual problems. It seems there is a demand for weapons in Lebanon, and we received information about high prices due to growing demand,” he said.
An arms dealer in the Bekaa region bordering Syria told Arab News there were open smuggling routes between Lebanon and Syria that were protected by “many parties.”
The 40-year-old dealer, who declined to be named, said: “Most of this trade is focused on individual and light weapons, but some of the firearms can be turned into medium weapons.
“There is a carrier who we refer to as ‘Hammal,’ and he is Syrian in most cases. The carriers transport the arms to Lebanese border areas and get paid in dollars, Syrian pounds or even Lebanese pounds, provided the pricing is based on the dollar value on the black market. Those who have bought the weapons display them later in their houses after customers contact them to choose what they wish to buy,” he said.
The most popular weapons are Russian-made, but there are also requests for Syrian-made bullets.
He said that an ammunition box containing about 700 rounds costs 1.4 million Lebanese pounds, though the price was 300,000 Lebanese pounds before the currency crisis.
“Ammunition prices rose slightly two days ago due to the security situation in Lebanon. The dealers keep an eye on the situation and set prices accordingly,” he added.
The dealer said the influx of weaponry into the country is unsurprising.
“People who have a million dollars at home need weapons to protect themselves and their money, and anyone who sees the tension in the street will rush to arm himself and defend his family.
“People buy individual weapons for personal protection, and Syria is open to all types of weapons. Its borders are out of control from all sides. It is easy to obtain weapons from people who want to make quick profits.
“The most wanted US weapons in Lebanon, the M16 and M4 rifles, cost $1,500. The original, which is fully made in the US, costs about $7,000. This is usually bought by drug dealers to show it off because it is excellent and has a rapid shooting speed.”
The world of arms trafficking “is like any other trade,” the Lebanese dealer said. “There are agents for arms manufacturing companies, and they don’t mind bringing the weapons from another agent in Israel or anywhere else. Syria is a chaotic country in terms of security.”
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