Weapons smuggling into Syria has flourished – experts

As the revolt in Syria drags on, experts say weapons smuggling into the country has flourished, especially from Lebanon, with automatic weapons, grenades and hunting rifles in high demand.

They say that those behind the trafficking are smugglers in search of quick profits rather than political parties backing protesters against the Alawite-dominated regime in Syria.

“Smuggling networks that for years have operated along Syria’s borders seem to have turned to weapons trafficking in recent months,” said Peter Harling, a Damascus-based expert with the International Crisis Group.

“It appears that a market has quickly developed in a country which, contrary to Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen or Libya, had few weapons circulating beforehand,” he remarked.

He said the smugglers were motivated by money, at least for the time being.

“I don’t think that at this point we can say, as the Syrian regime claims, that foreign powers are playing a significant role in this,” Mr Harling said.

“People on both sides in Syria are buying weapons to defend themselves,” he added.

“Residents in Alawite villages are arming themselves for fear of reprisals and the (mainly Sunni Muslim) opposition is increasingly doing the same given the regime’s harsh crackdown against any form of protest.

“So the temptation for people to defend themselves is growing.”

A Western diplomat in Beirut who did not wish to be identified confirmed that weapons smuggling from Lebanon into Syria was on the rise but also stressed he believed this was the work of individuals rather than parties.

“Those sending weapons may sympathise with a certain party but you can’t say that a political faction as such is behind the smuggling,” the diplomat said.

He noted the situation was ironic given that for years weapons had been smuggled from Syria into neighbouring Iraq and Lebanon. “The tables are turned now, and it’s a case of the biter getting bitten,” he said. Since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in mid-March, Damascus has accused loyalists of former Lebanese premier Saad Hariri, a Sunni, of sending cash and weapons to the opposition in Syria.

Mr Hariri has denied the allegations.

Lebanese authorities have arrested a number of Lebanese and Syrian nationals on charges of weapons smuggling. A judicial official said the arms seized in those cases were either hunting rifles or light weapons.

The smuggling has led to a hike in prices on the black market, notably for hunting rifles, automatic weapons and grenades.

“The Syrians are raking in all the weapons and driving up prices,” said one licenced weapons dealer who did not wish to be identified.

He added that much of the weapons on the black market in Lebanon date back to the country’s 1975-1990 civil war or were smuggled in from Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion.

An underground weapons dealer in north Lebanon, also on condition of anonymity, said the price of a used Kalashnikov assault rifle has risen from €575 to €1079 since the Syria uprising began.

The price of a grenade has also doubled, from about €3 to more than €6, he added, while rocket-propelled grenades are now fetching €141 a piece as opposed to €50 previously.

“There is high demand for Kalashnikovs and ammunition as well as pump-action shotguns which usually come from Turkey and are sold for €350, compared to €140 normally,” he said.