By Nohad Topalian | 2023-08-21

Residents of al-Chiyah and al-Ghubairi in Beirut's southern suburb -- a stronghold of Iran-backed Hizbullah -- say their neighborhoods are rife with drug abuse, trafficking and gambling that leads to gunfights.

They blame Hizbullah's dominance for the insecure conditions, noting that the capital city's southern suburb is not protected by government security.

The southern suburb is riddled with drug dealers, a source told Al-Fassel on condition of anonymity.

Captagon in particular is readily available in the Hizbullah-controlled al-Sullam district, he said, while "online gambling operators are active in al-Chiyah, the Amal Movement's area of influence."

Drug traffickers and dealers in the area mostly hail from Bekaa Valley clans close to Hizbullah, he said, adding that they persuade youth in the suburb to take or deal drugs, fueling a cycle of addiction, crime and violence.

Although Hizbullah is aware of the situation and in some cases even knows the dealers, it has failed to respond to residents' pleas to put a halt to the illegal activity, he said.

"Senior figures in the Amal Movement benefit from gambling, which they promote among the youth," he said. "Gambling has become an addiction and is ravaging the youth's lives in the suburb."

Crime on the rise

"After Hizbullah imposed its security, military and economic control over the northern Bekaa Valley, and seized the illegal crossings used for smuggling contraband, it extended its control to the southern suburb of Beirut," said Southerners for Freedom coordinator Hussein Ataya.

All the mafia-like groups and drug traffickers and dealers have set up shop in the southern suburb, he said, "which has facilitated the spread of drugs among all age groups in the area."

"Meanwhile, the area's insecure conditions enabled people to carry weapons, which in turn led to an increase in kidnappings, armed robberies, car theft and rape," he told Al-Fassel.

"The suburb's situation is unique in Lebanon, as it is a stronghold for gangs involved in the manufacturing and distribution of drugs of all kinds, particularly at night. It also is a center for organized crime groups," he said.

Residents of the lawless area live in constant fear, knowing that lethal weapons are in the hands of gangs that clash over their share of stolen goods, he added.

"Hizbullah members do not intervene to control the situation except when the party's authority is threatened," Ataya said.

'Catastrophic consequences'

The prevailing lawlessness in the southern suburb "has catastrophic consequences for society and the country," said political activist Ahmed Matar, a researcher at the Umam Center for Documentation and Research.

The Lebanese economy's collapse and the state's current state of disarray are contributing factors to the lack of accountability, prompting residents of al-Chiyah to demand their neighborhood be rescued from outlaws, he said.

The abundance of drugs in the southern suburb has negative consequences for the future of the area's youth, who are at risk of being recruited as dealers or succumbing to drug addiction, he told Al-Fassel.

Captagon factories "are invading the camps surrounding the southern suburb, where drugs are sold like food," Youth Against Drugs director Joseph Hawat told Al-Fassel.

"Hizbullah knows this but turns a blind eye to it."

He pointed to the increase in the number of drug traffickers, pushers and addicts, adding that even young women and mothers have become familiar with drugs and have become addicts or dealers.

"Nightclubs are a main target for drug traffickers and dealers through valet parking attendants, as they have direct contacts with drug users," he said.