Hezbollah-backed drug lord untouchable in Lebanon

BBC news published a report on Thursday (March 2) about hashish farming in Lebanon, featuring one of the leading drug lords, Ali Nasr Shamas, and a close associate of Hezbollah militia, as he publicly defies the Lebanese authorities pointing his weapon directly at the camera during the interview.

Hezbollah and protection of hashish dealers

The Hezbollah-backed hashish dealer stated that "just like Europe and the US export terrorism to us, we in return sell them drugs."

In response to a question about how the delivery of hashish is made to Europe and the US, Shams said: "The entire government is a broker. 90% of people in the authorities can be bribed.”

“Our moto is guns before food,” he said.

Lebanese observers explained that if Shamas did not enjoy the protection of Hezbollah or Amal movement, he would not have dared to publicly appear defying the Lebanese government and its apparatuses. They also mentioned another infamous hashish merchant Noah Zuayter who is also very blunt about his relations with the leaders of the Shiite Hezbollah militia.

Hezbollah’s hashish trafficking

Media reports had revealed earlier about international drug trafficking networks run by Hezbollah of which the militia has profited tens of millions of dollars.

Drugs constitute a large proportion of Hezbollah’s income sources.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, in 2008, the Colombian authorities arrested a network of drug smuggling and money laundering in connection with Hezbollah, before the Colombian drug dealer Walid Mukaled confessed three years later about his collaboration with the Shiite militia in the cocaine trade.