Beirut-Rafik Hariri International Airport security personnel have detained a man for attempting to transport a large sum of fake U.S. dollars out of Lebanon.
The Airport’s Internal Security Forces Inspection Platoon stopped Lebanese national “A.Y.” on Tuesday night as he attempted to pass through with a bag containing $119,350 in fake bills.
The banknotes had been concealed in the bag in a “professional” and “innovative” way, according to the National News Agency.
After being detained and interrogated, the suspect confessed that he was on his way to Turkey.
His plane ticket had been paid for by a Turkey-based Lebanese national identified as “K.H.”
K.H. owns the seized luggage, according to the detainee, who explained that the man had asked him to bring him the bag.
A.Y. has been referred to competent judicial authority as the investigation into the incident continues.
Notably, this comes a few days after security forces thwarted a similar attempt to smuggle nearly half a million dollars in fake cash through the Beirut Airport.
The arrested suspects behind that operation were also headed to Turkey and had also been coordinating with a Turkey-based man. It is unclear whether the two operations are connected.
*Photo used for illustrative purposes only.
