Report: Security Forces Pursuing 3 Bank Robberies Suspects

Security forces obtained the names of three men who are allegedly accomplices in the latest bank robberies across Lebanon, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

The daily said that the suspects have been robbing the banks to obtain money to buy drugs.

The security forces were able to identify them at one of the drug dealers known as “al-Dabdoub” in Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The suspects are reportedly known as Mohammed T., Hassan A. and Mohammed J.

According to al-Akhabr, the suspects who allegedly carried out two of the bank robberies, headed after one of the operations to Hay el-Sellom area in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The report said that the thieves used the same techniques during the last four banks robberies, which indicate that the operations might have been carried out by one gang.

In all the robberies, the thieves used similar guns and fled on stolen motorcycles except for the first operation during which they used a car without license plates.

Security forces are examining the possibility of improving their patrols near the banks as a security official noted that there is a probability of placing undercover policemen nearby branches.

However, another security official told the daily that this plan is impossible due to the deficiency in the numbers of the security agents.

On Thursday, the Fenicia Bank, formerly Bank of Kuwait and the Arab World, fell the victim of a robbery as the thieves managed to escape to Karm al-Zaytoun area with $50,000 in addition to LL50 million.

On Tuesday, Bank Byblos in the town of Shouaifat was robbed by armed men who left two people injured in the second robbery of the same branch in six months.

The recent bank robberies started on June 14 when gunmen entered Federal Bank of Lebanon in the town of al-Damour and later escaped with LL100 million in cash.

The Fenicia Bank is the fifth bank robbery in the past two months.

Several other banks were robbed later including the Societe Generale de Banque au Liban (SGBL) branch in Kfarshima whose thieves escaped with $110,000 in cash.

Unknown assailants also managed to make off with LL64 million and $40,000 from the Dbayeh branch of Banque Libano-Francaise at the end of June.