The Bekaa Investigation Detachment of the Regional Gendarmerie Unit, under the Bekaa Regional Command, carried out an exceptional field operation in close operational and intelligence cooperation with the joint Lebanese–international operations team of the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU – MECSHAP–CABS). The operation resulted in the removal of 38,280 square meters of bird-killing nets used for illegal hunting and the indiscriminate killing of birds.
The missions, conducted over several days, covered the areas of Younine, Labweh, Arsal, Ras Baalbek, Qaa Projects, Al-Kuwaitiyeh, Jabbouleh, Jdeidet El-Fakiha, and the Nahle highlands. Numerous illegal trapping sites were identified, accessed, and cleared of nets. Following each mission, the confiscated materials were handed over to the relevant security units in accordance with established procedures.
The operation was distinguished by a high level of professionalism, precise field coordination, and rapid detection and intervention. The Bekaa Investigation Detachment also deployed a drone to survey the targeted areas, detect nets from the air, and accurately identify their locations. This significantly accelerated access to violation sites and enhanced the efficiency of field interventions.
The mission was administratively and operationally coordinated, including media coordination, with the Bekaa Regional Command, the Public Relations Division, and the Gendarmerie Command Operations Room of the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
Officers from the Ras Baalbek Police Station also participated in the field operations, assisting in the removal of some of the confiscated nets as part of the cooperation and coordination among the relevant security units.
In addition, several sustainable hunters from the Bekaa region contributed valuable field intelligence, helping identify illegal trapping locations and pinpoint the positions of the nets.
It is worth noting that this was not the first operation of its kind. A similar joint operation conducted last year resulted in the removal of approximately 8,000 square meters of nets. At the time, it was considered the largest bird-trapping net removal operation ever carried out in Lebanon, as well as the largest in the nearly 50-year history of the international organization CABS.
The latest operation, which resulted in the removal of 38,280 square meters of nets in just three days, establishes an exceptional new operational record. It also highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies, specialized anti-poaching teams, and sustainable hunters in combating illegal hunting and protecting birds and wildlife in Lebanon.
