The Lebanese Army on Thursday detained Nouh Zaiter, one of the country’s most sought‑after crime figures, in a surprise operation along the Church-Baalbek road in the Bekaa region. Security sources said the arrest was carried out by Military Intelligence, which set up a covert ambush in the town of Maqneh before transferring Zaiter into custody. No injuries were reported during the operation.
Zaiter, long known as a dominant force in the drug trade in Lebanon and the Middle East, has been pursued for years on charges linked to large‑scale trafficking of hashish, Captagon, and weapons. He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison by a Lebanese military court in 2021. His armed network, active in the Beqaa Valley, has repeatedly clashed with authorities.
Zaiter’s notoriety stems not only from his criminal enterprises but also from his alleged ties to Hezbollah. International reports have accused him of supporting the group’s operations through illicit activity, including the movement of Captagon on behalf of Hezbollah and elements of the former Syrian regime – accusations he has consistently denied.
Born in 1977 in Taalbaya, Zaiter briefly studied in Beirut before leaving for Switzerland in the early 1990s. He returned several years later and quickly rose within the drug underworld, eventually leading an armed militia known locally as the “Alwiyat al‑Qalaa.” His reputation as the “hashish baron” made him a central figure in the criminal landscape of the Bekaa.
Lebanese officials have not yet released further details on the circumstances of his detention or upcoming legal procedures. The arrest marks one of the most significant blows to organized crime in the Bekaa in recent years.