Between Forgery, Conspiracy, and a “Legitimate Smuggling” Attempt: The “Hawk III” Case Ignites Strife as the Judiciary Observes Closely!

Private information received by indicates preparations for a “legalized escape” of the oil tanker Hawk III, through attempts to reduce the value of customs fines imposed on it after its detention on charges of forging official documents.

Informed judicial sources stated that the Supreme Customs Council is under pressure to reduce the fines, but this step is considered almost impossible legally, because the confessions of the tanker’s captain and the documents seized confirm clear involvement in the forgery process. The sources also explained that the captain confessed during the investigations that the ship’s passage through the Turkish port of Mersin was merely a way to conceal the forgery in the shipping documents.

The sources indicated that the legal consequences of any attempt to waste the rights of the Lebanese state in this case would be dire, stressing that the judiciary will not allow any manipulation of customs procedures or any collusion leading to the loss of public funds.

In conclusion, the sources pointed out that the case is currently under close monitoring at the Lebanese and international levels, with anticipation for the results of the investigations and whether they will reveal the involvement of official figures or influential individuals suspected of intervening to protect the tanker and those who operate it.