Conflict Incident Report

The Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of two persons suspected of involvement in the theft of tens of thousands of dollars from a Fransabank in Metn’s Mansourieh last month.

The suspects, identified as Lebanese nationals H.Z., born in 1982, and H.A., born in 1987, were arrested on Jan. 6 in the Aley area of Choueifat, the ISF said in a statement.

H.Z. was found to have a gun in his possession and was identified as the master planner of the armed robbery. He reportedly received a share of $21,000 from the winnings, which he reportedly used to pay off debts and to finance his “drug abuse.”

H.A. reportedly admitted to doing logistical work to assist in the robbery.

The suspects were handed over to the judiciary, while work is ongoing to arrest what the ISF said would be the “last member of the gang.”

Robbers reportedly entered the Fransabank branch at around 10 a.m. on Dec. 22, where they aimed military-grade weapons at customers and employees, and stole a large sum of money. The robbers exited the bank and fired a shot in the air before escaping.

ISF personnel previously arrested a suspect in the robbery on Dec. 23.

The ISF said they had identified all of the suspected thieves within three hours of the robbery. A brownish-green Land Cruiser was identified as the get-away vehicle, and later found in Metn’s Ain Saade. The car had reportedly been stolen from the Kesrouan town of Faraya on the morning of Dec. 22.