Last Friday, Lebanon's state security officials seized 39 smuggled trucks from Syria, in the city of Baalbek -Bekaa valley. The trucks contained a large quantity of vegetables and fruits, according to an online independent newspaper. The smugglers were arrested and referred to concerned investigative parties.
The Lebanese government has lately adopted measures aimed at controlling smuggling across Syrian borders in a bid to protect the farmers and merchants in Lebanon.
Xinhuanet.com explains how these farmers have, in the past years, been impacted by the smuggling of goods from Syria which competed with their produce and led to a slowdown in their businesses while undermining their financial capabilities.