Iraqi authorities announced the arrest of a third suspect, described as the alleged mastermind of a network smuggling weapons from Iraq into Syria for onward delivery to armed groups in Lebanon. The announcement coincided with a Syrian statement reporting the seizure of 226 grenades at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing with Lebanon.

Alsumaria News reported today, Tuesday, July 21, citing an Iraqi security source, that security forces had arrested the third suspect, described as “the mastermind of the network smuggling weapons into Syria, in preparation for transferring them to armed groups in Lebanon.” The arrest was made “through the efforts of the Anbar Police Command, in coordination with the Directorate of Intelligence and Counterterrorism.”

The agency added that the weapons shipment “was loaded at one of the armed groups’ camps in Baghdad,” and that “according to the available information, surveillance systems were disabled in some of the areas from which the three trucks transporting the shipment departed.”

The agency reported that “one of those trucks was seized inside Syrian territory and was being driven by the suspect identified by the initials S.M.S., while security and legal proceedings against the remaining people involved are continuing.”

It added that “the investigations are focusing on suspected links to a cross-border network believed to be involved in supporting armed groups and terrorist activities”.

The source noted that “the suspects’ names had previously been linked to drug and weapons-smuggling operations between Syria and Iraq in both directions during Bashar al-Assad’s rule,” adding that the investigations remain ongoing.

226 Grenades Seized in Jdeidet Yabous

Separately, Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs announced today that the Jdeidet Yabous Customs Office in Rural Damascus had seized 226 RGC grenades. The grenades were carefully concealed in secret compartments inside a vehicle heading toward Lebanese territory.

The authority provided no additional details about the smugglers’ identities or the party behind the smuggling attempt, while the relevant authorities continue their investigations.

Escalating Campaign Against Arms Smuggling

The arrest of the network’s alleged mastermind came days after the Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday, July 16, that it had foiled an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of advanced weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border. The ministry said the shipment was intended to pass through Syrian territory toward Lebanon for the benefit of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The shipment was seized at the al-Tanf border crossing after an oil tanker heading toward the city of Baniyas on the Syrian coast raised suspicions. A search of the tanker revealed weapons, missiles, and drones concealed inside it in a way intended to bypass inspection procedures.

The Syrian Interior Ministry said at the time that the seized items included long-range missiles, guided anti-armor missiles, and drones. It added that preliminary investigations showed the shipment was intended to pass through Syrian territory toward Lebanon for Hezbollah.

The ministry did not disclose the identity of the network behind the smuggling attempt, stressing that investigations were continuing to uncover all the circumstances of the case and identify those involved.

The ministry stressed that protecting Syria’s borders and safeguarding national sovereignty represent “a priority on which there can be no compromise.” It also rejected the use of Syrian territory “as a corridor or launching point for weapons smuggling or carrying out activities that threaten the security of Syria and neighboring countries.”