The Lebanese authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle counterfeit currency to Iraq and Turkey, and dismantled a factory for printing counterfeit banknotes in the Bekaa Valley, where four suspects were arrested, in the latest campaign to pursue perpetrators of violations and crimes and arrest wanted persons.
And in open shops on the international road “Rayak – Baalbek”, at the entrance to the town of Brital, a large motorized force from the Lebanese army, with the support of a force from the Bekaa Intelligence, tightened the cordon on a gang of currency counterfeiters, on Saturday. Security sources described to Asharq Al-Awsat the gang as “the largest for currency counterfeiting,” adding that the group involved in currency counterfeiting “works day and night to print Arab coins, and American coins in the fifty and one hundred dollar denominations, and its main shipping destination is Iraq, with large quantities shipped.” Few towards Turkey and other Arab countries. The army worked to open a hole in the walls of the shops on the international road so that it could withdraw and confiscate the printing machines, which appeared huge, using a crane to pull them from their place. The confiscated machines were transferred to a security center, and the army arrested four wanted Lebanese who were involved in printing counterfeit currency.
The Lebanese Army Command confirmed in a statement that the army units seized a factory in Brital containing machines and equipment for counterfeiting currency, 3 military weapons, hunting rifles, a quantity of drugs, ammunition and counterfeit currency.
The security sources said that the confiscated machines are designed to print foreign currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the Iraqi dinar, pointing to the seizure of banknotes that were intended for smuggling. The confiscated amount is estimated at millions of banknotes of different currencies packed on wooden pallets and packages prepared for smuggling to some Arab countries and Turkey. Security sources said that the largest amount of counterfeit currency was intended for smuggling towards Iraq.
The official authorities carry out large-scale security campaigns in eastern Lebanon, to pursue drug dealers, smuggling and theft activities, and to arrest wanted persons and those accused of crimes and shootings, and all security agencies, including the Army Intelligence Directorate, the Internal Security Forces, the General Security and the State Security, participate in them.
