Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs said its officers foiled an attempt to smuggle a quantity of narcotic substances through the Qamar border crossing with Lebanon.[1] The discovery came during routine inspection operations on the luggage of travellers arriving through the crossing.[1] The inspection seized 2,600 grams of hashish along with 17 grams of heroin.[1] Both drugs were hidden hermetically inside a loudspeaker in a camouflage attempt aimed at evading customs control procedures.[1]

Officers drew up a customs-infraction report over the seizure and took the required legal measures.[1] The authority said the action formed part of continuing efforts to combat smuggling of narcotic and prohibited substances.[1] It also confirmed that surveillance and control would be reinforced at border crossings.[1]

The Qamar crossing is located in the Wadi Khaled area of Akkar in northern Lebanon.[1] It is the only border crossing open in northern Lebanon with Syria, and it is reserved exclusively for pedestrian transit.[1]