LEBANON ALMOST FREE OF DRUGS

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 23 (UPI) - A security official says Lebanon has
become ``almost clean'' of drug cultivation and has adopted measures to
prevent money-laundering despite its bank secrecy laws.

Brig. Gen. Abdel Karim Ibrahim, director-general of the Lebanese Internal
Security Forces, said today that Lebanon had exerted great efforts in
recent years to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, which flourished
during the 1975-90 civil war.

At a news conference at United Nations headquarters in Beirut, Ibrahim
said, ``Lebanon, which was a drug producer and exporter, especially hashish
and heroin, and an importer of cocaine, has become almost clean.''

He said there was no more hashish or opium cultivation in Lebanon after the
Lebanese Army and Syrian troops stationed in eastern Lebanon destroyed the
drug fields in a campaign that began in 1992.

He added that Lebanese security forces succeeded in combating drug
trafficking, noting ``as the best proof'' the fact that ``no hashish or
heroin smuggling from Lebanon has been reported by any country in the
world.''

Ibrahim, however, admitted that very small quantities of heroin and opium
not exceeding more than 100 kilograms were still being smuggled into
Lebanon via Turkey and Syria as well as cocaine from Latin America.

He noted that about 500 kilograms of cocaine used to be imported into
Lebanon every year while now only a small quantity is being smuggled by
passengers and international courier.

He added that Lebanon has tightened sanctions against drug traffickers who
now face a life-sentence in jail and fines from 25 million to 100 million
Lebanese pounds if caught.

Ibrahim said Lebanon succeeded in eradicating the cultivation of drugs, but
failed ``to uproot this idea from the minds of the poor Lebanese farmers
and all the others who were earning their daily bread from such cultivation
- - their only source of living.''

He urged donor states to keep their promises and grant Lebanon about $35
million to help Lebanese farmers make a living farming other crops after
they released $65 million for this purpose in previous years.