How Hassan Nasrallah's death will affect Hezbollah's drug empire – Firstpost

The elimination of Hassan Nasrallah and the beheading of Hezbollah's leadership changed the political landscape of West Asia. Now that the snake's head has been beheaded, who replaces Nasrallah and his top lieutenants will determine whether Lebanon will plunge into civil war. At this point, if the Lebanese army manages to unite with Shiite officers and soldiers standing by their compatriots, Lebanon will turn a new page of independence from Iran, its Shiite hostility and Islamic extremism.

However, Nasrallah was also the head of a drug syndicate. Although the actual size of Hezbollah's Nakro empire is difficult to estimate, some experts estimate its annual budget at around $1 billion. Given the scale of Hezbollah's drug activity from Afghanistan to Venezuela and the various businesses it controls in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East to launder proceeds, from used car dealers to restaurants and construction companies, the annual revenue and wealth estimate could be high higher.

Nasrallah was famous for his secrecy and isolation, so law enforcement and intelligence agencies in several countries, particularly those of strategic importance to the Iran-Hezbollah drug empire, must work overtime to gather information to stop Hezbollah's operations , when she is at her weakest. This will help reduce its sphere of influence and paralyze Iran to the point of no return.

The destruction of the Hezbollah drug syndicate leadership will not only lead to a supply deficit in Europe, the Middle East and the United States, but could also trigger competition for Hezbollah's trade routes and territory.

Aside from the political power vacuum in Lebanon and Syria and the crippling impact on Iran's strategic depth, Hezbollah managed much of Iran's illicit financing. It remains to be seen how much Nasrallah's death will impact the financing and resilience of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) supply chain for Iran's nuclear program and strategic supplies.

Hezbollah has long been accused of engaging in various illegal activities, including drug trafficking, to finance its operations. Although Hezbollah has denied these allegations, several investigations and reports have linked the organization to the global drug trade, particularly trafficking in heroin, Captagon and other narcotics. This network is believed to have close ties to criminal organizations in Europe, South America and the Middle East.

Hezbollah's involvement in the heroin trade is often traced to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, a region notorious for its poppy cultivation and drug production. Hezbollah is accused of providing protection to drug producers and traffickers in return for financial support. Although the group may not directly produce heroin, it reportedly facilitates its transit and profits from smuggling routes that run through Lebanon, Syria and into Europe. Lebanese heroin is said to account for a fifth of heroin sales in the United States.

Some reports suggest that Hezbollah intermediaries connected with Afghan heroin suppliers linked to the Taliban, creating a pipeline through which heroin can flow from Afghanistan through Hezbollah-controlled regions to Europe and other destinations. In this scenario, Hezbollah's role is assumed to be primarily logistical, providing the infrastructure for the transport of heroin along key transit routes.

Captagon, an illegal amphetamine commonly abused in the Middle East, has become a major source of income for various militant groups, including Hezbollah. The group was involved in the production and distribution of Captagon, particularly in Syria, which became an important transit point for the drug during the turmoil of the civil war.

Hezbollah's strong military and political presence in Syria, where it has supported the Assad regime, has placed it at the center of the Captagon trade. Reports from law enforcement agencies in Europe and the Middle East indicate that Hezbollah was involved in large-scale manufacturing and smuggling operations, with Captagon often destined for the Gulf States and Europe. The drug trade not only funds Hezbollah's operations, but also helps maintain its influence in Syria and the wider region.

Hezbollah has been linked to South American drug cartels, particularly in regions such as the Tri-Border Area (TBA), where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. This area has long been a center of illegal activity, including drug trafficking, money laundering and the sale of counterfeit goods. Hezbollah is believed to have developed close ties to criminal organizations operating in the region, supporting drug trafficking networks that move cocaine from South America to markets in Europe and the Middle East, and funding its “cocaine jihad.”

Hezbollah's ties to Venezuela are also strong, particularly through its ties with members of the Venezuelan government and military involved in the drug trade. The group acts as an intermediary, helping to transport large quantities of cocaine from Venezuela to West Africa and Europe. This is an important route for the flow of drugs into Europe and affects the core business of European organized crime. It is also directly linked to the financing of the government of Nicolás Maduro and some of his key allies in Caracas.

In Europe, Hezbollah is linked to the drug trade through its network of activists and sympathizers. European law enforcement agencies have identified Hezbollah-linked cells involved in the distribution of heroin, cocaine and Captagon. In 2016, a U.S.-led operation called Project Cassandra accused Hezbollah of running a multibillion-dollar drug trafficking network, laundering drug money through European car dealerships and working closely with South American cartels to transport drugs to Europe.

In addition to drug trafficking, Hezbollah has also been involved in money laundering operations related to drug sales in Europe, taking advantage of the Lebanese diaspora, often through extortion. These operations use legitimate companies to funnel drug money back to the group's leaders in Lebanon, further entrenching Hezbollah in global organized crime networks.

The Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia, was a key destination for Captagon and other drugs smuggled through Hezbollah's networks. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states have seized large shipments of Captagon in recent years, many of which were linked to Hezbollah and Syrian networks. The golf market represents a lucrative source of income for the group as Captagon is in high demand in these regions.

The organization's control over drug smuggling routes in Lebanon and Syria has allowed it to expand its influence and finance its military operations, particularly fighting alongside the Assad regime in Syria.

Hezbollah's involvement in the drug trade is largely seen as a pragmatic strategy to secure funding for its operations. In light of U.S. and other countries' sanctions against the terrorist group, drug trafficking has become an important alternative source of income, allowing Hezbollah to continue its extensive military and political activities. Aside from Hezbollah's formal political and military role in its terrorist activities against Israel and its support of the Iranian government in its foreign operations, such as the formation of the Qassem Solimani Brigades, how will the elimination of its leadership affect Hezbollah's drug empire? What impact this will have on security, weapons and drug trafficking needs to be monitored.

The author is a writer who has worked closely with and continues to advise various governments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is the founder of the Dialogue on Democracy. The views expressed in the article above are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.