Sources: Wael Abbas was Held in Syria for 20 Days
The ringleader of the gang that kidnapped the seven Estonian tourists, Wael Abbas, stayed in the custody of the Syrian authorities for 20 days before being handed over to Lebanon’s General Security Department last week, official sources said.
The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published Monday that Syrian authorities questioned Abbas over his fake Venezuelan passport and other documents after Qatar arrested him at Doha airport and deported him to Syria.
Abbas was trying to flee to Brazil and was on a transit in Doha when airport authorities uncovered his fake ID carrying the name of al-Fliti hailing from the Lebanese eastern town of Arsal.
The sources said that Doha airport police questioned him for four hours and put him on the first plane to Damascus. When he arrived to Syria, authorities there kept Abbas in their custody for 20 days and then handed him over to Lebanon last Wednesday.
The Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch is now questioning him, the sources told al-Hayat. But they refused to give further details about his confessions.
The seven Estonians were abducted in the eastern Bekaa Valley on March 23, hours after entering Lebanon from Syria on a bicycle tour and were held for nearly four months before being released on July 14.
An Nahar newspaper has said that Abbas is the leader of a six-member gang that kidnapped the Estonians at the expense of a bigger and more dangerous network.
His arrest raised the number of those executed the abduction to four. The other two remain out of sight.
Six suspects from the larger network are also in custody, An Nahar said although it stressed that the number of those who are at large is much higher.
Three of them have been killed in clashes with the Intelligence Branch. They are Kanan Yassine, Munir Jalloul and Darwish Khanjar.
over 12 years
more like was a guest in syria, who were forced by qatar to hand him over
over 12 years
What does not make sense is: how did he manage to enter Syria and with what passport?
How did he manage to leave Damascus airport and with what passport? If he left on a lebanese passport from damascus airport to Brazil, he would need a visa? The Syrians did not question him at the airport as to where his visa is? Sounds all fishy to me.....
over 12 years
He's extras scary because he's blurry.
over 12 years
I would agree with The judge and Jury, not only he and his conspirators should be given the end of the rope but the entire town or area of Arsal should. Thank you for our SO Called Syrian neighbors for allowing this region to prosper and be like the wild west. It is time or corrupt politicians to give the army full execution strategy in that region of Lebanon. Time to place the hanging apparatus in the middle of each town to teach our lawless regions a lesson once and for all.
over 12 years
Guys ... have you forgotten that Astonia paid 10 million dollars for the release of the hostages . well i think 10 million buys you a lot of things including the authority in Syria and a fake passport . the question is why was he held in Syria for 20 days before handing him over to Lebanon ? the only reasonable explanation i can come up with is to get the rest of the 10 millions . , oh yes the end of the rope sound good
over 12 years
Held in custody, or invited in to hide?
over 12 years
what amazes me is the silence of our legal system: are they covering for his Syrian backers????
This despicable criminal should face a firing squad or hang at the end of a rope along with his partners in crime... And not because of kidnapping tourists but most of all for killing a Lebanese lawman and seriously injuring other lawmen... In civilized and democratic countries such criminals will get a fair trial but will not escape execution for their evil deeds and endangering lives... Kidnapping is definitely a serious offense but murdering Law enforcement officers is definitely a capital offense and no mercy should be shown towards these vile criminals... No mercy whatsoever!!!!