Nouh Zaiter, one of Lebanon's major drug traffickers, was arrested in the Beqaa region by security forces, Lebanese media outlets reported Thursday. His lawyer confirmed the arrest.
Zaiter, 48, is considered one of Lebanon's largest traffickers, maintaining his own militia. In the scope of activity, he is probably second only to the terror organization Hezbollah. Accordingly, for years, he was considered one of the prominent figures in producing and trafficking the stimulant drug Captagon, a substance nicknamed "cocaine for the poor." He was also involved in hashish and marijuana. As part of this, he engaged in extensive cannabis cultivation.
He is a criminal who was loyal to Hezbollah and operated inside Syria during the civil war years. In Lebanon, people also say he maintained relationships with several members of the Assad family before it was ousted from power a year ago.
Throughout the years, Zaiter did not hesitate to speak to the media and express support for Hezbollah. In the previous decade, for example, he addressed the organization's then-secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, "My lord, we are the ones who paid the price for our loyalty and our inability to defend ourselves against the slanders, but we are people of honor and we committed ourselves to fight injustice and the enemies of the nation. We remain faithful to our commitment. We say – at your command, Nasrallah."
According to the US Treasury Department, Zaiter maintained close contact with the Fourth Division of the Syrian army, which was under the command of Maher al-Assad before the regime's collapse. According to the US, he provided support to Hezbollah in equipment, money, goods, and services. Consequently, he was included on the sanctions list.
Zaiter was known for his lavish lifestyle and the pistol he carried on his belt. For years, he lived on the western ridge slopes of the Lebanese mountains. Drug trafficking is particularly widespread in Lebanon, especially in the Beqaa region in the country's east. Dozens of traffickers operate there who have enjoyed immunity from the law for many years.
