ISF arrests members of armed gang suspected of bank robbery

Internal Security Forces personnel have arrested suspected members of a gang accused of stealing cars and participating in the late 2017 Fransabank robbery, an agency statement said Wednesday. Following a two-month investigation, the ISF earlier this week arrested four members of the alleged gang, which was believed to be responsible for the spike in car robberies in the Bekaa region. The ISF discovered the location of the gang’s safe house in the town of Brital in Baalbeck, which was reportedly continuously guarded by a Syrian national, identified as A.A., born in 1996. A special unit raided the safe house, where members of the ISF unit exchanged heavy fire with the suspects, resulting in the injury of one of their own. The ISF unit arrested the head of the gang, a Lebanese national identified as M.H., born in 1986, who had several warrants out for his arrest, including for theft, drug dealing and improperly discharging weapons. Aside from A.A., two other Syrian nationals were arrested: a man identified as Y.H., born in 1996, and a woman identified as D.A., born in 1992. The ISF also seized military-grade weapons, ammunition, radio equipment and cellphones. Under interrogation, M.H. confessed to carrying out 12 armed car robberies across Lebanon and participating in the Fransabank robbery, which took place in Metn’s Mansourieh in December of last year. The robbers had entered the Fransabank branch at around 10 a.m. on Dec. 22, aiming weapons at customers and employees. After stealing a large sum of money, the robbers exited the bank and fired a shot in the air before escaping. The ISF had already arrested three other men in connection with the robbery. M.H. and Y.H. separately confessed they had planned a robbery in the town of Ferzol in Zahle, to take place on the day they were arrested. The four detainees were referred to the judiciary. The ISF is still searching for the remaining gang members, the statement said.