Lebanese authorities on Monday charged Saudi Prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz and nine other people, who were seized at the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon for trying to smuggle on Oct. 26 two tons of amphetamine and cocaine.
The drug bust, tagged as "the largest one that has been foiled through the Beirut International Airport," had the Saudi Prince and four others detained by airport security after having been caught to load nearly two tons of Captagon capsules and cocaine in their private aircraft.
"[A public prosecutor] has charged 10 people, including five arrested individuals-a Saudi prince and Saudi nationals with smuggling and selling the drug Captagon," a source told Aljazeera. The same source said that five individuals, including three Lebanese and two Saudi nationals, remain at large.
Many were interested in this particular case because the drug bust happened at a Lebanese airport and it involved a Saudi prince. Historically, Lebanon is known to be deeply reliant to Saudi Arabia. The Independent, in its report about the drug bust, even commented: "The Lebanese who grabbed them must regret that their customs scanner ever picked up the cargo."
The Independent highlighted the fact that Lebanon is highly indebted to Saudi Arabia saying that "the Saudis generously rebuild much of Lebanon every time Israel invades it." The report also cites how the Lebenase Minister of the Interior Nouhad Machnouk had denied about knowing details on the case and said that everything is in the hands of the justice.
The same drug smuggling case had been controversial because while a Saudi Prince are exploiting drugs in massive amount, the Saudi Arabia monarchy continues to execute people over drug charges. Few hours before the Saudi Prince was detained by Lebanese authorities, a Pakistani drug smuggler was executed. And according to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia has executed a total of 175 people already over drug offenses.
