Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Iraqi national freed in Lebanon after kidnapping 

Iraqi national freed in Lebanon after kidnapping 

An Iraqi national who was kidnapped in Lebanon has been freed by military intelligence.
Badr Dafar Sayer was abducted and taken for ransom from an apartment in Jounieh, north of Beirut, four days ago, later being moved to the Sherwana area in Baalbek.

He was freed by his captors, who fled, leaving authorities unable to arrest them.

Army Command said: “A wanted man, M.J., accompanied by unidentified gunmen impersonating security forces, kidnapped the Iraqi Badr Dafar Sayer from an apartment in the city of Jounieh and demanded a large ransom from his family."

Lebanon has witnessed a surge in kidnapping for ransom amid economic stagnation and inflation woes. The circulation of photos showing kidnapping victims across social media has become a weekly occurrence.

Though Lebanese police data at the end of 2022 showed an improvement in security indicators compared to 2021, it also revealed a significant increase in kidnapping for ransom.

Information International, a private statistics institution in Lebanon, reported an annual increase of 12 to 50 in kidnapping for ransom crimes.

The study, based on reports issued by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces, included “crimes reported to the security forces only and not the cases that were settled outside the framework of the official security services.”

A security source told Arab News that most kidnapping victims “are transferred to the Baalbek-Hermel region, and some are transferred through illegal crossings on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

“Sometimes security coordination takes place between the security services of the two countries to free a kidnapped person or coordinate with people who know the kidnappers, and can pressure them and lure them to Lebanese territory in special operations to arrest them and release the kidnapped person.”

The source added: “The gangs include Lebanese and Syrian citizens and those on the Lebanese wanted list. They are professional in extortion, armed violence and defiance of the authorities.”

Since 2019, Lebanon has undergone a severe economic collapse, which the World Bank has ranked among the worst in the world.

The security source added: “The chaos, especially in the areas controlled by Hezbollah in the eastern Bekaa region and illegal crossings, encouraged the rise of armed gangs in many regions and across the border.

“These gangs are active in human trafficking and smuggling, and kidnapping well-to-do men, women and children in order to collect ransoms.”

Lebanon’s penal code punishes perpetrators of kidnapping for ransom with life with hard labor.

During the past two weeks, Lebanon repatriated about 50 Syrians who had entered the country illegally.

A judicial source estimated the percentage of Syrians in Lebanese prisons at “about 40 percent of the total prison population, most of them perpetrators of kidnapping, theft, murder, drug use and smuggling, and human trafficking.”

Meanwhile, the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces arrested a husband and wife in Beirut who operated as major drug dealers.

The husband, born in 1986, and his wife, born in 1992, worked out of their home on Rafik Hariri International Airport Road, selling large quantities of narcotics.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×