LOC18:50
15:50 GMT
BEIRUT, May 22 (KUNA) -- Lebanese authorities detained on Friday four
nationals on charges of spying for Israel, as part of an ongoing relentless
campaign designed to nip these clandestine espionage networks in the bud.
Security sources said the government security personnel arrested "a leading
member of the network of collaboration with the Israeli enemy." They added
that the man, who hailed from the southern village of Al-Qusair, was detained
on the coastal road south of Beirut after a cat-and-mouse operation that
lasted for 36 hours.
The detainee "is a notorious agent and a brother of one of the other
arrestees," held on similar charges, the sources said.
The sources said the man was nabbed after arresting two others, a man and a
woman, in the southern region of Shebaa.
Earlier, the sources said a fourth suspect, nammed Mustafa Hassan Su'aid,
who hailed from the village of Al-Qusair, located in the region of Marjayoun,
was detained in South Lebanon and taken to a security station for
interrogations. The sources said Su'aid was suspected of having links with
another suspected agent, Nasser Nader, from the village of Al-Ghandouriah.
The detentions were the latest actions by the authorities against a network
of espionage for Israel.
Lebanese permanent mission at the UN, on Wednesday, protested that the
espioange activities in Lebanon for Israel constituted a violation of the UN
resolution 1701. Beirut also called on the UN peace-keeping force in
southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) to help bring back at least two Lebanese also
suspected of espionage. The two Lebanese have recently fled to Israel across
the borders.
The authorities have declared discovering at least nine espionage networks
spying for Israel in the country. (end)
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