Lawyer Ashraf Al-Musawi, who represents Noah Zaiter, Lebanon's most notorious drug trafficker, arrested yesterday, Thursday, stated that 150 life sentences have been issued against his client, in addition to approximately 1000 absentee rulings. The lawyer also noted in press statements that his client faces around 2500 active cases. He was arrested in a sting operation set up by army intelligence officers. At the time, the French Ministry of Finance stated that Zaiter is involved in Captagon trafficking in Lebanon and Syria and is linked to individuals from the Assad family. According to an army statement, 'The detainee is one of the most dangerous wanted individuals based on a large number of arrest warrants, for crimes including forming a criminal gang active in numerous areas of Lebanon in drug and weapons trafficking, manufacturing narcotic substances, and armed robbery and theft.' The statement also added that he had previously opened fire on army personnel and centers, as well as on citizens' homes, and had kidnapped individuals for financial ransom. In March 2024, the Military Court issued an in absentia death sentence against him for the crime of firing at Lebanese army personnel with the intent to kill them in the Charoun neighborhood in Baalbek, a neighborhood where Zaiter owns a home and which the army frequently raids in search of drug trafficking suspects. On March 28, 2023, the U.S. Treasury Department, in coordination with Britain, imposed joint sanctions on two cousins of former President Bashar al-Assad for Captagon smuggling, which also included Zaiter. The Treasury Department described Zaiter as a 'known arms dealer and drug trafficker.' Similarly, on April 24, 2023, the European Union imposed similar sanctions on the same three individuals for the same charges. It was reported that Zaiter did not resist arrest. Zaiter, born in 1977, is considered the most famous drug trafficker and smuggler in Lebanon, having been at large for a long time with numerous arrest warrants and absentee convictions issued against him.
