Lebanese sources report that Hezbollah has been moving money into Lebanon using temporary import companies—and at times shell companies—by hiding cash inside clothing shipments arriving from abroad.
The process is facilitated by Lebanese customs officials linked to Hezbollah at both Beirut International Airport and the Beirut seaport. These officials escort the incoming cargo, exposing a partial infiltration of the country’s customs system.
According to the sources, Hezbollah has been shifting its smuggling techniques to make financial tracking far more difficult. They emphasized that this does not indicate that Lebanon’s security institutions are controlled by Hezbollah; the group’s influence within these agencies has actually decreased. Still, certain individuals inside these institutions provide limited assistance at key moments, allowing specific commercial shipments containing cash to pass through targeted entry points.
The officials also noted that the American delegation that recently visited Beirut—likely from the US Treasury Department—focused on reducing Hezbollah’s financial channels as much as possible. While completely halting the flow of funds is not realistic, Washington aims to significantly restrict it, especially by monitoring digital currencies and tightening oversight of Lebanese banking pathways.