Israel foils attempt to smuggle in 48kg of hashish from Lebanon

Israeli security forces foil an attempt to smuggle drugs into Israel from Lebanon earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police say.

According to the IDF, soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted two suspects close to the border, near the northern Bedouin village of Aramsha, allegedly involved in the smuggling.

Troops and police officers dispatched to the scene manage to arrest one of the men and seize 48 kilograms (105 pounds) of hashish, estimated to be worth NIS 2 million ($545,000 million).

The drugs and suspect, a 25-year-old man from the northern Arab town of Ibtin, are handed over by police for further investigation.

“The IDF is prepared and equipped for every scenario and will continue to operate against every attempt to violate the sovereignty along the Blue Line,” the military says.

Previously, Israeli security officials have indicated drug and gun-running on the border with Lebanon are often on behalf of the Hezbollah terror group, which controls much of southern Lebanon.

The terror group is known to fund its activities through drug sales around the world, including producing large amounts of hashish in eastern Lebanon.