Issued by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division: On 03/05/2026, the woman identified as M. M. (born in 1956, Lebanese displaced person) filed a complaint stating that while she was inside a clothing store in the Ketermaya area, two unknown women fraudulently stole gold jewelry estimated at approximately USD 80,000, in addition to USD 5,000 in cash from inside her handbag, before fleeing to an unknown destination. Immediately, the competent units of the Internal Security Forces launched field and intelligence procedures to identify and arrest the women involved in the theft. As a result of investigations and inquiries, the Information Branch succeeded in identifying them as: M. H. H. (born in 1995, Syrian Palestinian) F. J. (born in 1973, unregistered) H. A. (born in 1983, unregistered) On 05/05/2026, following close surveillance and monitoring, one of the Branch’s patrols managed to arrest them in the Sabra area. During interrogation, they confessed to carrying out the aforementioned theft and to hiding the stolen items inside the home of a relative of one of them. They also admitted committing several similar thefts in the cities of Beirut and Saida. The necessary legal measures were taken against them, and they were referred to the competent authority based on the instructions of the competent judiciary.

22/5/2026

Issued by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division: On 18/05/2026, a woman filed a complaint at the Barouk Police Station of the Regional Gendarmerie Unit claiming that her house located in the Frideis area had been burglarized by means of breaking and entering after she had been away for two days. She estimated the value of the stolen cash at approximately USD 55,000, in addition to jewelry and gold worth USD 20,000. Immediately, the competent unit launched investigations and collected evidence in coordination with the competent judiciary. It was revealed that there were contradictions between the complainant’s statement and the available evidence. When confronted with these inconsistencies, she admitted that she had filed a false report and had deliberately scattered the contents of the house before leaving it to make it appear as though it had been burglarized, in order to conceal the missing money and jewelry. Further investigations revealed that she had fallen victim to a fraud operation carried out by a Syrian woman identified as: H. A. (born in 1980), arrested in the Baakline area. The suspect had gradually withdrawn sums of money and jewelry from the victim in cooperation with: Y. Kh. (Syrian national, approximately 45 years old) who claimed to possess spiritual powers and used sorcery and witchcraft as a means to commit fraud and deception. He resides permanently outside Lebanon. It was also revealed that H. A. was responsible for luring victims and introducing them to Y. Kh. in preparation for defrauding them and stealing their money and jewelry. She would send the money to him through: S. M. (born in 1967, Lebanese), arrested on 20/05/2026 in the Masnaa area, who works in transportation between Lebanon and Syria in exchange for a commission on each amount transferred. A search of H. A.’s residence led to the discovery of a quantity of jewelry inside her house. Another quantity of jewelry was recovered from the Koura area, in addition to USD 46,000 found inside an apartment in the Choueifat area. The recovered money and jewelry were returned to their owners, while the jewelry belonging to H. A. was confiscated after it was proven that it had been purchased using proceeds from the fraud operation. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining individuals involved, based on the instructions of the competent judiciary.

22/5/2026

Issued by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division: As part of the continuous efforts undertaken by the Internal Security Forces units to combat the scourge of drugs and arrest those involved, and based on information obtained by the Beirut Investigation Division of the Beirut Police Unit regarding the activities of a dangerous drug dealer operating in Beirut. Following surveillance and tracking operations, a force from the aforementioned division managed to set up a tight ambush in the Mar Mikhael area, resulting in the arrest of the suspect while he was driving a Hyundai Accent vehicle. He was identified as: Sh. Q. (born in 1982, Lebanese), wanted under a life sentence for drug-related crimes. A search of the suspect and the vehicle led to the seizure of quantities of narcotics intended for distribution, as follows: 10 plastic containers containing cocaine 7 plastic containers containing “cocaine paste” 7 narcotic pills of the type “Buprenorphine” (8 mg) Amounts of money resulting from drug trafficking operations The suspect, along with the seized items and the vehicle, was handed over to the competent authority for the necessary legal action based on the instructions of the competent judiciary.

21/5/2026

Issued by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division: Based on the instructions of the competent judiciary, the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces circulates the photo of the detainee: H. B. M. (born in 1979, Lebanese), who has prior records for fraud and forgery crimes. He was arrested for fraud and deception through social media after using a Facebook page and a foreign phone number to deceive his victims, most of whom were Syrian nationals, by claiming he could secure entry visas to European countries in exchange for sums of money. In order to gain their trust, he required the presence of a “guarantor” during meetings held inside his vehicle after agreeing on the amount to be paid. He would then, through a fraudulent sleight-of-hand technique, replace the money received from the victim with another bundle of similar size but of much lower value and consisting of low-denomination currency notes. He would then place the amount inside an envelope, seal and sign it, and hand it over to the victim and the guarantor under the pretext of keeping it until the issuance of the fictitious “visa,” in order to reassure them and convince them of the seriousness of the procedures, before disappearing. Investigations revealed that the detainee had carried out multiple fraud operations, the latest of which involved stealing USD 21,000 from one of his victims. Therefore, the General Directorate requests anyone who has fallen victim to his acts and recognizes him to contact the Information Branch at 1788 in preparation for the necessary legal procedures. Warning:The General Directorate warns against falling victim to similar fraud schemes and calls on individuals wishing to obtain travel visas abroad to deal exclusively with the concerned embassies. It also urges them to verify the authenticity of advertisements related to such matters on all social media platforms by consulting the official website of the relevant embassy before taking any action, in order to avoid becoming victims of fraud and scam networks.

21/5/2026