1 of 1 Sketch portrait of the leader of Hezbollah, who according to PF attracted Brazilians Photo: Reproduction Sketch portrait of the leader of Hezbollah, who according to PF attracted Brazilians Photo: Reproduction
A sketch of a Hezbollah leader who, according to the PF, lured Brazilians (and other nationalities) into attacks and murders has just been forwarded to Interpol. The document bearing the stamp of the Brazilian Federal Police was also passed on to intelligence agencies in the United States, the European Community, Israel and Asian countries.
The sketch was prepared by PF experts based on the statements of Brazilians who were targeted in the antiterror operation launched in early November. In interrogations conducted more than once since last month, suspects reported that while traveling to the Lebanese capital they were introduced to a local “boss” who according to the investigation headed Hezbollah's terrorist recruitment program.
The experts examined the witness statements, details of the meetings, physical descriptions of the “boss” and the location of the meetings and compiled a detailed dossier, which has now been sent to Interpol.
The main target of the plan would therefore be Lebanese or Syrians aged around 50, described as elegant and speaking at least Arabic, English and Spanish.
Conversations with the target persons, the objects of cooptation, lasted up to 8 hours. According to federal experts, this made it possible to create a sketch with up to 85% accuracy about the Hezbollah leader.
In other words, the Brazilian investigators interviewed during the creation of the sketch concluded that the result bore a certain physical resemblance to the Lebanese suspect, namely 85%.
According to investigative sources, due to his characteristics (age, speaks Spanish and knows some words of Portuguese), this person must have already lived in or visited Latin America and may have been involved in some way in the attacks in Argentina in the 1990s. The suspicion also arises from the exchange of information with foreign secret services.
With the creation and publication of the sketch, the PF now wants to work together to promote international investigations into the emergence of Hezbollah terrorist cells.
Mohahamd Khir Abdulmaid, a Syrian naturalized in Brazil, is still at large. He is used by the PF as a link in the plan to recruit Brazilians for the “chief” of Hezbollah. The Federal Court ordered Mohamad's arrest and his name appears on Interpol's red list of wanted persons.