Overview
- Military officials confirmed the arrest near Baalbek, with the army identifying the detainee by the initials N.Z. and saying he is under interrogation.
- Reports differ on the operation’s details, with some accounts citing an ambush and others saying Zaiter surrendered to military intelligence after a standoff.
- A Lebanese military court sentenced Zaiter in absentia to life with hard labor in 2021 for drug crimes, with numerous warrants issued for additional offenses.
- The detention came after raids in Baalbek that seized drugs and ammunition and left two soldiers dead, as the army intensifies operations against trafficking networks.
- Zaiter was sanctioned by the U.S., U.K., and EU in 2023 for alleged Captagon production and smuggling, with reporting linking him to Hezbollah and elements of the former Syrian regime.