NNA - The Internal Security Forces Directorate General’s Public Relations Division issued a statement this afternoon, indicating that as part of its continuous pursuit and arrest of drug smuggling networks in the country, orders were given to the relevant units to intensify their investigative efforts to uncover drug smuggling operations to and from Lebanese territory and to identify and arrest all those involved in said operations.

“As a result of the investigations, the Information Division reached confirmed data that an international network smuggled a large quantity of cocaine from Ecuador to Lebanon, by hiding it inside a shipment of bananas...After diligent follow-up, the Division was able to determine the location of the container upon its arrival at the port of Beirut, where a patrol unit worked to seize it and upon careful inspection, 25.6 kilograms of cocaine worth millions of dollars were found professionally hidden inside the metal structure of the container,” the statement added.

“The legal requirements have been carried out concerning the seized shipment, and efforts are still underway to arrest the smuggling network members involved in the aforementioned operation,” the ISF statement concluded.

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