Border security management in the western region has seized a number of methamphetamine and cannabis manufacturing labs.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency "SANA," clashes with armed smuggling gangs took place in the villages of Haouik, Jermash, Wadi Al-Hourani, and Akoum Al-Souriya during a combing campaign launched by the Border Security Administration in the western region to control the western borders of the country from smuggling operations.

In a statement to "SANA," Major Muayyad Al-Salameh, the commander of the western region in the Border Security Administration, said: "Most of the smuggling gangs on the Lebanese borders are affiliated with Hezbollah militia, which has become a threat by supporting drug and arms smugglers on the Syrian borders."

According to Al-Salameh, the previous regime turned the Syrian-Lebanese borders into passages for drug trafficking in cooperation with Hezbollah, which helped strengthen the presence of armed smuggling gangs in the border area.

Al-Salameh stated: "During our combing campaign, our forces managed to seize a large number of farms, warehouses, manufacturing plants for packaging cannabis and Captagon pills, as well as printing presses specializing in counterfeit currency. This area represented the economic lifeline for these gangs. We also seized numerous shipments of weapons and drugs in the border areas with Lebanon, which were en route for crossing."

Al-Salameh confirmed that the Lebanese interior was not targeted, despite the shelling of Syrian units by Hezbollah, as the operations were limited to the Syrian border villages.

Al-Salameh concluded by saying: "We have developed a comprehensive plan to fully control the borders, taking into account the existing challenges and contributing to protecting our people from all threats targeting them."