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Conflict Incident Report

Airport Customs stop accused drug smuggler

Date of incident: 
June 15, 2018
Death toll: 
0persons
Number of Injured: 
0persons
Actors/Parties Involved: 
Lebanese Customs
Syrian Civilians/Refugees

Customs officials at the Rafik Hariri International Airport have discovered 2.7 kilograms of cocaine being smuggled into the country, the Finance Ministry said Friday.
A statement from the ministry said that a Lebanese national, identified as R.Aa., was concealing cocaine in his suitcase as he arrived in Lebanon from Qatar’s Doha International Airport.
The cocaine was reportedly initially smuggled out of Brazil by a Syrian national, identified as M.Aa., in a metal cylinder carried inside his bag. The two met at the Doha airport and exchanged bags, with R.Aa. transporting the bags on to Lebanon.
R.Aa. has been handed over to the relevant authorities, the statement said.

Primary category: 
Arrest/Detention
Secondary Category: 
Illicit Trade/Trafficking/Smuggling
Classification of conflict (primary): 
Power & governance conflicts
Violent or non-violent conflicts associated with antagonisms related to internal political tensions between local and/or national groups and parties. These tensions may be encouraged by internal, regional and international parties. Such conflicts are characterized by their defiance and/or opposition to central State power and governance.