Nouh Zaiter, one of Lebanon’s most wanted, taken into custody—the details

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

From a boy playing in the streets of Taalbaiya to one of the most wanted fugitives not only in Lebanon but also internationally, Nouh Zaiter is now in the custody of the Lebanese Army.

Born in 1977 in the Zahle town of Tall Abbas, Zaiter spent part of his youth in Switzerland before returning to Lebanon in the mid-1990s. He briefly enrolled at the American University of Beirut, attending for less than a year before dropping out.

Zaiter quickly became involved in illegal activity, taking advantage of the open border environment of Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, long known as a refuge for fugitives and a corridor for smuggling. 

He began cultivating cannabis, producing hashish and expanding into drug and weapons trafficking, supported by clan and local networks that helped him grow his influence beyond the reach of the state.

He fortified himself in strongholds in the northern Bekaa town of Kneisseh. Although he repeatedly denied receiving political protection, Lebanese authorities failed for years to arrest him despite raids and armed clashes with his followers.

Zaiter became one of Lebanon’s most notorious fugitives, facing hundreds of in-absentia arrest warrants. Interpol later listed him as a high-risk international fugitive.

He openly expressed support for Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, citing his sectarian affiliation and his presence in areas under their influence in the Bekaa. 

He also appeared at Hezbollah military sites during the Syrian war and publicly backed both the party and the former Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.

Zaiter used media exposure to craft the image of a local folk hero, earning the nickname “Robin Hood of the Bekaa” for his claims that he supported hundreds of families and provided aid to the poor. 

He appeared on multiple talk shows and allowed local and foreign journalists to profile him, attempting to present a more polished public image.

Until only hours before this report, Zaiter remained one of Lebanon’s most dangerous fugitives — a figure who built the reputation of an outlaw able to evade justice while running a cross-border criminal network.