Thread by @Bacharelhalabi

It appears that 🇱🇧's once-prosperous cocaine business, usually encapsulated with the country's often-advertised "buzzing nightlife scene," is just another victim of Lebanon's addiction (pun-intended) to the Benjamin$$$.

‼️ A #Thread ‼️

With lockdown measures easing recently, house-parties became a thing around #Beirut; a compensation for the shutdown of the plethora of clubs & bars around town.

However, folks (let us call them that for now) started complaining about the lack of cocaine on the market.

Indeed, the once abundantly available white powder, which brought tourists from the region & #Europe to party in #Beirut, has become a rare commodity. The reason? Druglords were running out of $s to pay suppliers and to bring cocaine into the country.

Why is this worrying?

Because the story I'm about to share indicates the meltdown of the state's apparatuses.

Acc to Judiciary sources, the Chief Officer of the Drug Enforcement Unit was recently tipped with info pertaining to 12kgs of cocaine previously confiscated by the ISF.

Apparently, "Abu Salleh" (which translates to Mr. Basket), a 🇱🇧 drug lord, was able to "purchase" drugs from the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) ITSELF.

Why & how?

The lack of $s has pushed Abu Salleh to improvise & look for solutions.

The drug lord figured that the confiscated drugs are a wasted opportunity. Hence, he was able to recruit ISF officers and convince them to "sell" him 4kgs out of the 12kgs.

But, there is always a plot twist!

Apparently, upon his tipping and in an illegal decision, the Chief officer of the DEU single-handedly removed the seals of the 12kgs of cocaine. He then claimed that 4kgs had "disappeared" and called for an investigation.

Art 102 of the Code of Criminal Procedure:

Seals placed on seized items/items held in safekeeping may be broken only in the presence of Investigating Judge, his clerk, defendant or his advocate, & the person who searched his home or in whose presence the search was undertaken.

Following the "revelation," the DEU's Chief decided to inform the general prosecutor and the intelligence unit within the ISF. A step he should've taken before breaking the seals. Hence why he is now a suspect along with other officers in his unit.

Now for reputation purposes, this story might fly under the radar or even be suppressed. Given the state of chaos in Lebanon at the moment, the suspects might be able to avoid accountability and justice. However, the extremely worrying takeaway from the story is:

With the devaluation of the salaries of security officers & the disintegration of their lifestyles (once considered luxurious), the contract that binds them with the state (their employer) in order to uphold law & order is also disintegrating.

Why is this dangerous?
Because with the increase of the civil unrest & the worsening of the economic situation, all sorts of crimes are bound to increase. And, if the state cannot pertain its role as a guarantor of law & order, the outcome will be:

Sectarian & armed political parties taking over the "security sector" and transforming it into a "commodity" to sell to locals living within their enclaves. Of course, existing parties have a long history and experience in doing that over a 15-year Civil war.

If & when that happens, the ruling sectarian parties will be able to recycle themselves & rebuild their legitimacy, not based on nepotism & clientelist structures (the state is bankrupt), but by providing "security."

Lastly, how will Abu Salleh price his cocaine?

source: yasour.org/2018/ar/news/d…