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Lebanon Arrests Mobile Phone Technician on Charges of Spying
A Lebanese phone technician has been charged with spying for Israel after he was accused of giving the country's secret services access to Lebanese telecommunications systems for the past 14 years. The unnamed man worked for the Alfa mobile phone network, the telecommunications minister Charbel Nahas has said.
The 56 year old man, identified only as "Charbel Q" by the government is said to have been a key manager for the BTS side of the network. "He is a manager and technician for this very specific sort of technology, which unfortunately makes him almost the perfect spy for the enemy," a Lebanese military intelligence officer said.
Due to his position within the company, it is being claimed that the entire mobile network could have been compromised.
Lebanese security officials said Charbel's arrest, even after 14 years of spying, was vital to Lebanon's security. One described the arrest as "more than a hefty catch". He told As-Safir newspaper: "This is the very most precious treasure in terms of services and data the detainee has been providing Israel all those years."
It is being claimed by local media that he was a critical figure during the 2006 war between the two countries and helped the Israeli forces locate individuals when they made phone calls.
The government has been engaged in a wide-spread clampdown on spying and over 70 people have been arrested since last April. As Lebanon remains technically at war with its southern neighbour, being convicted of spying can lead to the death penalty.
Lebanon's two mobile networks are owned by the government, but managed on a concessionary basis by Alfa and MTC Touch.
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