950819

Cocaine seized

in Beirut

BEIRUT: Drug enforcement agents at Beirut airport foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 500 kg (1,100 pounds) of cocaine into Lebanon from Brazil, customs sources said on Saturday.

They said the drugs were seized on Friday, packed in cardboard barrels as industrial and chemical products.

The cocaine has a wholesale value of $10 million in Lebanon, a figure that could rise to $50 million after the drug is cut, the sources added.

Lebanese authorities have cracked down on drug cultivation, processing and trafficking after the illegal trade thrived in Lebanon during its 1975-90 civil war.-Reuter