October 16, 2026
The Public Prosecutor of Appeal in Mount Lebanon, Judge Sami Sader, charged the detainee (J.) with the crime of growing marijuana plants inside his apartment and on its balcony in the Hazmieh area, in addition to the charge of drug abuse. This claim came as a result of a raid called for by a patrol from the Mount Lebanon Investigation Detachment, which found in his home an “integrated home farm” that included marijuana seedlings equipped with LED lights, ventilation equipment, fans, fertilizers, nutrients, and an oxygen bottle, along with glass jars containing quantities of the narcotic herb and a sum of money exceeding 5,600 US dollars.
During investigations before the Central Narcotics Control Office, the detainee (J.) admitted to the incidents of cultivation and drug abuse, while he denied the charge of promotion, providing investigators with the names of people he said were supplying him with drugs. While recounting the details of his personal circumstances, he explained that he had been suffering from a deterioration in his psychological state since 2018 after his mother became ill with a terminal illness, which put him into a state of severe depression and lost his ability to concentrate. He indicated that he subsequently began using marijuana daily at a rate of 10 to 12 cigarettes, each containing about one gram. He added that he tried using cocaine twice in 2022 and 2024, but stopped after suffering a stroke, continuing to smoke marijuana alone.
In his testimony about the sources of his obtaining the contraband, J. stated that he used to buy marijuana and hashish from a person named Hussein Zuaiter, who resides in the Ghobeiry area, once or twice a week for 10 to 20 dollars per bag, confirming his willingness to point it out to him, in addition to his dealings with Zuaiter’s brother, nicknamed “Manuscript.” He also referred to another supplier nicknamed “BD” who stopped dealing with him about three years ago after he was robbed, and another merchant who used to meet him near the Phalange House in Beirut on board a taxi, and an unknown person whose identity was on the old airport road, in addition to a person named Charbel Al-Qa’i who he met in Wadi Al-Jamajim in Ajaltoun.
Regarding his agricultural activity, the detainee explained that he began the experiment about a year ago with four seedlings that did not succeed, then he conducted research and planted five seedlings about five months ago. In response to what was stated in the report of the Baabda faction regarding the seizure of 11 seedlings, he stated that he cut the five seedlings and hung them to dry, so they were counted as 11 seedlings. He justified the use of the tools by saying that the oxygen bottle increases the percentage of the active substance, according to what he read, and that the LED lights compensate for sunlight, while the fans reduce the humidity level, pointing out that the ventilation equipment was already present in his home because he suffers from asthma, and that the seized liquids are fertilizers that he bought from a public store for the purpose of personal use exclusively due to the poor quality available in the market, according to his claim.
In his defense of the seized items, the detainee claimed that the quantity contained in the jars (which he estimated at approximately 50 grams, compared to weights exceeding 2,000 grams, according to the seizure report) are inferior goods and that he does not smoke them. He explained the presence of the seized amount of money by the fact that his monthly income is approximately 5,000 US dollars, which he earns from his work in a “mini market,” a computer games store, and organizing parties. He also touched on his relationship with a person called Hamid Al-Shidyaq, stating that he has known him since he was young and that he sells drugs in clubs belonging to a company that organizes night parties that he attends, in addition to the fact that he and his brother Nihad own a company for soap and cleaning supplies, at the same time rejecting any personal connection to sales operations or to the Al-Shidyaq family.
Despite his insistence on denying the accusation of drug trafficking and his challenge to the investigators to confront him with anyone who bought from him, in addition to his denial of having any security records against him, the records of the Narcotics Control Bureau revealed the existence of a precedent registering his name for the crime of drug use in the year 2021. The result of the detainee’s urine test was positive for marijuana use and negative for the rest of the substances. Based on all of this information, Judge Sami Sader issued his decision to arrest (J.), seize the drugs and money in his possession, and send his mobile phone for technical analysis, while referring a summary of the file to the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Bureau.
