Lebanese authorities have intercepted a staggering $8.2 million in cash at Beirut International Airport over the past week, according to a report in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper citing a judicial source. The money was found stashed in the luggage of three passengers: two had arrived from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, via Ethiopia, while the third had flown in from Istanbul.
During interrogation, the suspects claimed they were simply transporting money on behalf of Lebanese businessmen based in Africa. They reportedly provided investigators with the names of those who had entrusted them with the funds as well as the intended recipients. Lebanon’s attorney general has ordered the money to be held at the country’s central bank pending the outcome of the investigation.
A banking source told the newspaper that Hezbollah has historically cooperated with Lebanese entrepreneurs working in Africa, facilitating cash transfers through private jets and commercial flights. In exchange, the terror group reportedly took a cut of the smuggled funds. For years, Hezbollah allegedly relied on a network of loyal collaborators at Beirut Airport to carry out such operations. However, the source noted that Hezbollah’s influence at the airport has significantly weakened in the wake of the recent war.
Reporter Roi Kais added that, according to Lebanese sources, Hezbollah typically pocketed around 20% of the money it funneled into Lebanon from abroad, especially from countries in Africa and Latin America. These smuggling proceeds served as a key source of income for the organization, supplementing the financial support it receives from Iran.
{Matzav.com Israel}