Security forces arrested a dangerous criminal who heads a violent gang that had been terrorizing citizens with armed crimes in Lebanon.
Recently, different areas in the southern suburbs of Beirut and in Saida have witnessed robberies at gunpoint by an unknown armed gang, during which victims were shot and wounded in broad daylight.
After following the case, the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) was able to identify the mastermind of these operations, 20-year-old Lebanese national “M.N.,” the ISF said in a statement on Friday.
The man has a criminal history that involves theft, robbery, pickpocketing, and drugs. He is also constantly armed and considered dangerous, according to the statement.
Once they located him, a special forces unit in the Information Branch was dispatched to arrest him, and the unit was able to disarm and detain him after he attempted to use his weapon.
However, in the process, unidentified individuals opened fire on the ISF personnel and tried to block their way, which prompted them to return fire and use a stun grenade and a smoke grenade to clear the streets and leave with the detainee.
M.N. was carrying $1,900 in counterfeit bills, 3,706,500 Lebanese pounds stolen from citizens, a quantity of cocaine divided into 7 bags, and a stolen Samsung cellphone.
He admitted to having partaken with others in more than 15 motorcycle thefts and over 5 armed robberies in different areas in Beirut, and admitted to abusing drugs and promoting fake currency.
The ISF said the criminal was handed over to the competent authority while work is ongoing to arrest the remaining perpetrators.
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