Syrian authorities arrest 3 suspects accused of smuggling drugs from Lebanon

LONDON: Authorities in Syria arrested three people suspected of smuggling drugs into the country from Lebanon and seized 200,000 narcotics pills in two operations in Damascus Countryside province.

The drug seizures were the latest in a series of recent operations reported by Syrian authorities near the Lebanese border and in central Syria. On Nov. 7, the department said officers in Homs arrested the suspected leader of a drug-smuggling network, and recovered 120,000 captagon pills and 9 kg of hashish.

A day earlier, border guards intercepted 280 kg of hashish and 28,000 captagon pills near Serghaya in Damascus Countryside, the Ministry of Defense said. The smugglers opened fire on the guards when confronted and fled toward Lebanon, it added.