BEIRUT: The alleged ringleader of the gang that kidnapped seven Estonian tourists and held them for more than 100 days was in the custody Wednesday night after Syrian authorities caught him trying to flee Lebanon.
Wael Abbas, 29, who has been the subject of a nationwide manhunt since March, was handed over to Lebanese security personnel after being stopped by Syrian border police at the Masnaa crossing in possession of false ID.
“Abbas is now at the General Security headquarters in Beirut amid heavy security,” a security source told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
The kingpin is well known to law enforcement agencies in the Bekaa Valley and was wrongly reported killed as recently as September, when security forces shot dead two suspects in the Estonian case.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed that Abbas was now in custody after being handed over by Syrian border police.
“The guy is under guard in Beirut,” he told The Daily Star.
Seven Estonian cyclists were snatched from their bicycles by armed men on the outskirts of Zahle, west Bekaa, in March. They were released after more than 100 days in captivity during which they were frequently transported between Lebanon and Syria, according to victims’ testimonies.
Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, which was heavily involved in efforts to liberate the seven, declined to comment on the news of Abbas’ arrest. When contacted by The Daily Star, the Estonian State Prosecutor’s Office said it had “not yet received official confirmation of any arrest.”
Abbas is a resident of the Bekaa Valley town of Anjar, notorious for its pockets of relative lawlessness. He emerged as a prime suspect in April after he fled the scene of a shootout between bandits and Internal Security Forces officers thought to be involved with the kidnapping. Darwish Khanjar, another suspect, was killed in the altercation.
The head of the ISF, Major General Ashraf Rifi, initially said that Abbas had fled to Syria following the kidnapping. Police arrested and detained his father and brother in an unsuccessful bid to get Abbas to turn himself in.
A judicial source familiar with the investigation said that it was unlikely Abbas was affiliated with any terrorist group.
“He is a paid criminal,” the source said.
Wael Abbas, 29, who has been the subject of a nationwide manhunt since March, was handed over to Lebanese security personnel after being stopped by Syrian border police at the Masnaa crossing in possession of false ID.
“Abbas is now at the General Security headquarters in Beirut amid heavy security,” a security source told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
The kingpin is well known to law enforcement agencies in the Bekaa Valley and was wrongly reported killed as recently as September, when security forces shot dead two suspects in the Estonian case.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed that Abbas was now in custody after being handed over by Syrian border police.
“The guy is under guard in Beirut,” he told The Daily Star.
Seven Estonian cyclists were snatched from their bicycles by armed men on the outskirts of Zahle, west Bekaa, in March. They were released after more than 100 days in captivity during which they were frequently transported between Lebanon and Syria, according to victims’ testimonies.
Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, which was heavily involved in efforts to liberate the seven, declined to comment on the news of Abbas’ arrest. When contacted by The Daily Star, the Estonian State Prosecutor’s Office said it had “not yet received official confirmation of any arrest.”
Abbas is a resident of the Bekaa Valley town of Anjar, notorious for its pockets of relative lawlessness. He emerged as a prime suspect in April after he fled the scene of a shootout between bandits and Internal Security Forces officers thought to be involved with the kidnapping. Darwish Khanjar, another suspect, was killed in the altercation.
The head of the ISF, Major General Ashraf Rifi, initially said that Abbas had fled to Syria following the kidnapping. Police arrested and detained his father and brother in an unsuccessful bid to get Abbas to turn himself in.
A judicial source familiar with the investigation said that it was unlikely Abbas was affiliated with any terrorist group.
“He is a paid criminal,” the source said.
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