The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces issued a communiqué on Sunday, in which it indicated that ‘within the framework of the continuous follow-up carried out by the Internal Security Forces to combat illegal immigration from Lebanon to European countries across the shores of northern Lebanon via unsafe boats, leading to the drowning of several illegal immigrants aboard, and after tireless efforts exerted by the specialized sectors in the Information Division, a new operation to smuggle people from the northern Lebanese region to Italy has been thwarted.’ The ISF communiqué indicated that after receiving information about an unknown group preparing for smuggling several persons across the sea from the northern region to Italy, on boats that were to depart from Selaata beach, in return for sums of money ranging between 6,000 and 7,000 US dollars for each immigrant, orders were given to the specialized units in the ISF Information Division to intensify patrols with the aim of thwarting the immigration process. The communiqué added that on July 8, 2023, at dawn, and after careful monitoring and control, the Information Division carried out two simultaneous operations along the Minnieh-Dinnieh and Al-Muhammarah highways that resulted in thwarting the smuggling of around 231 individuals of Syrian nationality. ‘What happened at dawn on the aforementioned date is not just a huge arrest operation carried out by the Information Division of the Internal Security Forces, but rather denotes a humanitarian mission during which the lives of 231 illegal immigrants were saved, who almost met an unknown fate at sea,’ the communiqué stated, indicating that investigation is underway into the incident under the supervision of the concerned judiciary.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon