Smuggling Persists on Lebanon–Syria Border After Assad’s Fall - The Syrian Observer

Smuggling Persists on Lebanon–Syria Border After Assad’s Fall - The Syrian Observer

Despite the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria remain active, controlled by new actors but deeply rooted in longstanding networks of smuggling and mutual interests. A field investigation across key border regions, including al-Qusayr and Wadi Khaled, reveals the entrenched nature of these networks and the failure of political change to dismantle them. Legacy of Conflict and Hidde…