TikTok gang bust lays bare continued criminal abuse of children in Lebanon

Special TikTok gang bust lays bare continued criminal abuse of children in Lebanon
Nine suspects have so far been arrested, including TikTok influencer George Moubayyed, who owns a hair salon called Hair Zone in Beirut’s Sabtieh neighborhood. (Supplied)
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Updated 12 May 2024
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TikTok gang bust lays bare continued criminal abuse of children in Lebanon

TikTok gang bust lays bare continued criminal abuse of children in Lebanon
  • Authorities investigating dozens of individuals who allegedly used the app to groom and sexually abuse children 
  • Scandal has provoked outrage among Lebanese and led to calls for the app to be banned in the country

DUBAI: Less than a year since the rape and murder of six-year-old Leen Talib in a case that shocked Lebanon, the country has again been rocked by a scandal involving the sexual abuse of children, and this time the social media platform TikTok is caught up in the furore.

Lebanese authorities are investigating a group of 28 to 30 individuals who allegedly used the app to groom children into performing indecent acts. The acts were reportedly filmed for sale online.

Nine suspects have so far been arrested, including TikTok influencer George Moubayyed, who owns a hair salon called Hair Zone in Beirut’s Sabtieh neighborhood, alongside three minors who allegedly used their accounts to lure others.




These images from social media influencer George Moubayyed's TikTok account shows himself posing in front of his salon in Beirut’s Sabtieh neighborhood. (Supplied)

According to local news media, the gang includes men and women and includes several Syrian and Turkish nationals.

The allegations have provoked outrage across Lebanon and have led to calls for TikTok to be banned in the country.

The Lebanese Internal Security Forces released a statement saying the arrests took place after several children reported being sexually assaulted on camera by members of a predatory gang and being forced to partake in drug use at hotels and seaside chalets.

One teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Arab News that he was groomed by the gang, but was able to avoid being sexually assaulted.





Lebanon's Internal Security Forces had been busy lately trying to suppress the burgeoning drug and arms smuggling trade in Lebanon, and now massive human trafficking and rampant exploitation of minors. (AFP/File photo)

“A few months after I opened my TikTok account, I was sent a message from an account which, at times, would call itself The Agency,” the teenager said. “They explained that they recruit children my age — 15 to 16-year-olds — to publish funny videos that get monetized, and I would receive any money the videos made. There was no (hint) of anything predatory at first.

“That soon changed, however. I started receiving texts from random accounts of a flirtatious nature. I was approached by an anonymous elderly man whose texts would range from normal to borderline flirtatious.

“He offered to buy me a new phone and give me $1,500 in cash if I were to meet him. Rather than coming to my neighborhood and meeting at a public place like a restaurant or coffeehouse, the man insisted on sending me a taxi to a private location. I refused. I later (found out) he was friends with one of the men from The Agency gang.”

Arab News could not independently corroborate the teenager’s allegations.

INNUMBERS

4.76 million Internet users in Lebanon at the start of 2024.

3.92 million TikTok users in Lebanon, mostly in 8-24 age group.

1.56 billion Monthly active TikTok users globally as of today.

Judicial authorities and local news media have identified several individuals they believe are linked to the gang, including a lawyer registered with the North Bar Association in Tripoli called Khaled Merheb; Abdo Keysso, the owner of Matrix clothing store; dentist Hussein Allaq; Paul Meouchi; Peter Naffah; and Hassan Singer.

Gigi Ghanawi, a social media influencer, proceeded to delete all of her social media accounts after being accused by some Lebanese media outlets of being part of the gang. Her accounts had multiple photos of her posing with the accused.

Some of the alleged victims have also claimed that Ghanawi sent them private messages of a provocative nature, asking to meet up with them, but when they arrived at the scheduled location, they were met by gang members. According to the latest reports, Ghanawi has been arrested.

While the investigation is still in its preliminary stages, Attorney General Judge Tanios Saghbini, the public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Mount Lebanon who is presiding over the case, has issued multiple arrest warrants and has requested Interpol’s assistance, as some of the suspects reside abroad — Meouchi is a resident of Sweden, while Naffah has reportedly fled Lebanon.

The teenager who spoke to Arab News said that he was asked to go to a shop called Fashion Zone to pick up the money he was owed from the “funny” videos he had filmed.

“The boutique was situated near George Moubayyed’s Hair Zone salon. You’d have to collect the money in cash. There was no other way to receive it directly. That’s how I came to know Moubayyed.




Nine suspects have so far been arrested, including TikTok influencer George Moubayyed, who owns a hair salon called Hair Zone in Beirut’s Sabtieh neighborhood. (Supplied)

“Upon meeting me, he suggested that he should cut my hair on camera, saying he’d do it for free and that it would give me more exposure, on account of him having over 400,000 followers on TikTok. He seemed adamant and pushy about the whole thing, then took my number to schedule a date for the appointment.

“Another time I went, I was introduced to Paul Meouchi. Paul would always try to take me out, often citing that he doesn’t live in town, that he resides in Sweden, and that I should really make the most of it while he’s around. I came to sense they all had that pushy attitude about them. They do not take no for an answer, always (asking) to meet for dinner and drinks.

“At one point, I received private messages from anonymous accounts claiming they had pornographic videos and photos of me and they said they would release them if I did not (meet them at) a certain location. I called their bluff, though. I knew there was nothing of that nature. Once I did that, the account deactivated.”

According to Singer’s testimony, the gang would use the children’s own videos to blackmail them into keeping quiet and continuing to be abused by gang members.

Singer alleges he was approached by other minors in his neighborhood who confided in him, and that he was posing as a pedophile in order to gather evidence and try to bring the offenders to justice




Amid Lebanon's economic and political crises, minors are feared to be most at risk to pedophiles and ghuman traffickers using social media to lure them. (AFP/File)

Despite portraying himself as a concerned citizen, several videos have surfaced on social media that reportedly show Singer in questionable settings with minors.

“I was also contacted by Hassan Singer,” the teenager told Arab News. “Hassan pretended to be a friend. He would often ask me out for lunch. He said I should be warned of bad men who wish to do harmful things to little boys and that I should steer clear of them. He also said he supports children my age by giving them money, which I found to be a little odd.

“One time he suggested that, if I ever needed a dentist, I should go to Hussein Allaq’s clinic. He said that to get a good deal and a quick appointment, instead of calling the clinic, I should message Allaq privately, tell him my age and send him some photos of me.”

The teenager also claimed that he was approached on TikTok by an Arab man who offered him $20 for each pornographic image or video sent.

In a statement, Judge Saghbini said the accused had formed “a criminal network for human trafficking and money laundering” and had “solicited minors, via social media networks, mainly TikTok, for sexual purposes.”




A judge has said that a "criminal network for human trafficking and money laundering” and had “solicited minors, via social media networks, mainly TikTok, for sexual purposes.” (Shutterstock images)

He also said members of the network had forced the minors to take drugs before raping them, had taken nude photos of them for the purpose of sale and distribution, and had engaged in “violent and life-threatening practices.”

According to Lebanese police, the videos and photos were intended to be sold on the dark web — online content that can only be accessed by specific software and usually requires authorization of some kind. While it is not illegal to access the dark web, some of its websites engage in criminal activity, which, according to the International Monetary Fund, includes “arms trafficking, drug dealing and the sharing of exploitative content.”

But what about the clearnet — the publicly accessible online content the majority of people use regularly, and which includes the major social media platforms? Does this latest scandal involving the abuse of such platforms make a case for banning the likes of TikTok?

Popular among the “Gen Z” demographic, TikTok — which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance — has 1.56 billion monthly active users globally as of 2024, according to market researchers at DemandSage.




Infographic courtesy of DemandSage

It ranks fifth among the most popular social media platforms, and is almost equally popular with men (52 percent of users) and women (48 percent), with the majority of its users aged 18 to 34.

Despite its popularity, its impact on mass culture, and the many small businesses and influencers who depend on it for sales and publicity, the site has faced opposition around the world.

It was banned in India in June 2020 amid tensions with China. Nepal also announced a decision to ban TikTok in November 2023 and Pakistan has implemented a number of temporary bans since 2020.

TikTok is also under pressure in the West because of concerns over data. It has been banned from government-issued phones in the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand, and staff at the European Commission have also been banned from using it on work-issued devices.




Members of the City Youth Organiztion rally in Hyderabad on June 30, 2020, in support of the Indian government's decision to ban the wildly popular video-sharing 'Tik Tok' app. (AFP/File)

In April 2024, citing national security, US President Joe Biden signed into law the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which is an effective ban on, or forced sale of, TikTok.

TikTok has filed a lawsuit, calling the act an “extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights” of the company and its 170 million American users.

Could similar restrictions on the app now follow in Lebanon?

According to the Akhbar Al-Yawm news agency, the media office of Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Corm issued a statement on May 8 saying a TikTok ban would first require a court order.




The Lebanese government's TikTok account has only 71,400 followers. A ban on the app may not be that much of a problem. 

“At a time when social media sites are abuzz with discussions and claims related to the blocking of the TikTok application in Lebanon following its use by a gang involved in extorting minors, it is important for the office to confirm that the banning of any application, whether TikTok or others, and the blocking of websites or private applications by the Ministry of Telecommunications requires a court order in accordance with legal protocols,” it said.

“The Ministry of Telecommunications is an executive authority, and (whatever) the Lebanese judiciary (rules) in terms of banning or not banning any application, the ministry is committed to implement exclusively. There is no individual authority for the minister of communications to decide whether to ban any application or not. The ministry has the technical ability to stop and block the TikTok application. In the event of a judicial decision in this regard, the ministry will apply this decision,” the statement continued.

Corm’s office also stressed the need for parents to monitor their children’s online activity and added that there are tools in most applications, including TikTok, that allow parents to block inappropriate content.
 

 


New US sanctions draw sharp reaction from Iran

Updated 13 sec ago
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New US sanctions draw sharp reaction from Iran

New US sanctions draw sharp reaction from Iran
  • Iran held fresh nuclear talks on Monday with Britain, France and Germany following renewed engagement in November
TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday condemned a new round of US sanctions as a “clear sign of hostility” after Washington blacklisted more than 30 people and vessels linked to its oil trade.
Washington announced the measures on Monday, targeting the head of the national oil company and others accused of brokering oil sales.
It was the second wave of sanctions in less than a month since US President Donald Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy on Tehran.
The sanctions were a “clear sign of the hostility of American policymakers toward the welfare, development, and happiness of the great people of Iran,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
In a statement, he called the measures a “wrongful, unjustified, illegitimate act that violates the human rights of the Iranian people,” and held Washington responsible.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has called for dialogue with Iran, saying he wants it to be a “great and successful country.”
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the possibility of direct negotiations with Washington on his country’s nuclear program under “pressure, threat or sanctions.”
During Trump’s first term, which ended in 2021, Washington withdrew from the landmark 2015 deal that imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
After the Trump administration reimposed sanctions in 2018, Tehran gradually rolled back its nuclear commitments.
Iran held fresh nuclear talks on Monday with Britain, France and Germany following renewed engagement in November.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that another round of talks with the Europeans was expected within three weeks.

Israelis mass for funeral of Bibas hostages killed in Gaza

Israelis mass for funeral of Bibas hostages killed in Gaza
Updated 55 min 33 sec ago
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Israelis mass for funeral of Bibas hostages killed in Gaza

Israelis mass for funeral of Bibas hostages killed in Gaza

RISHON LE’ZION: Thousands of mourners, carrying flags and orange balloons, gathered Wednesday for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity.
The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her children — Kfir and Ariel — were returned to Israel last week by Hamas as part of the ongoing ceasefire that has halted the more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.
Israel’s national anthem was played as the black vehicle convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.
Thousands of people lined the route to kibbutz Nir Oz, where the Bibas family lived before their abduction by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, and where their burial was set to take place later.
“I think if I stop to think about it for more than a split second, I feel so sickened, so sickened,” said Simi Polonasky, 38, who traveled from Miami to support hostage families.
“It’s not a regular situation: if you’re not feeling numb, you’re feeling so shattered and broken that it almost feels hard to continue,” she told AFP, starting to weep as she spoke.
Dozens of people lit candles at the roadside.
“We’re here to give a hug and receive a hug, to be strengthened and to give as much strength as possible,” said Mottel Gestetner, 41, who traveled from Australia.
Shiri Bibas and her two children were taken from their kibbutz by Palestinian militants during their unprecedented attack on Israel.
Her husband, Yarden Bibas, was also abducted but was released alive earlier this month in a hostage-prisoner exchange with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“From the window (of the car) today, I see a broken country. We won’t be able to get up or to heal until the last of the hostages is back home. Thank you everyone,” his sister Ofri Bibas said on her Facebook page.
The remains of the three Bibas family members were among the first to be returned under the truce deal.
The handover sparked anger in Israel when the remains of Shiri Bibas were not initially returned, prompting Hamas to admit a possible “mix-up of bodies” and finally hand over hers.
Yarden Bibas and his sister-in-law said in a statement last week that while the funeral would “only be for members of the family and close friends,” they wanted to let “whoever wishes to pay their respects and be a part of this moment to do so.”
Crowds of people were expected to line up along the route from Risho LeZion to Nir Oz as the funeral procession heads to the kibbutz.
Hamas has long insisted that an Israeli air strike killed Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas early in the war, but an Israeli autopsy said there was no evidence of injuries caused by a bombing.
Since their abduction Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel who was then aged four, and Kfir, then only nine months, had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.


Eight sentenced to death for 2013 murder of Tunisia opposition leader

Eight sentenced to death for 2013 murder of Tunisia opposition leader
Updated 26 February 2025
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Eight sentenced to death for 2013 murder of Tunisia opposition leader

Eight sentenced to death for 2013 murder of Tunisia opposition leader
  • Brahmi, a nationalist left-wing leader of the People’s Movement and member of Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly, was an outspoken critic of the Islamist-inspired government dominated by Ennahdha at the time

TUNIS: A Tunisian court sentenced eight defendants to death on Tuesday over the 2013 assassination of leftist opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi, according to local reports.
Charges included “attempting to change the state’s nature” and “inciting armed conflict,” local media reported.
Three of the defendants also received additional death sentences for “deliberate participation in premeditated murder,” according to the reports.
A ninth, who is on the run, was sentenced to five years in prison for “failing to report terrorist crimes to the authorities,” said the reports.
Tunisia still hands down death sentences, particularly in “terrorism” cases, even though a de facto moratorium in effect since 1991 means they are effectively commuted to life terms.
The verdict marked the first set of rulings in the case of Brahmi’s assassination, which took place outside his home on July 25, 2013, amid Tunisia’s turbulent post-revolution political landscape.
Demonstrators took to the streets across the country, as Brahmi’s distinctive round face and thick mustache became symbols of protest against jihadist violence.
Brahmi, a nationalist left-wing leader of the People’s Movement and member of Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly, was an outspoken critic of the Islamist-inspired government dominated by Ennahdha at the time.
His assassination further shocked the nation as it came less than six months after the killing of another prominent leftist figure, Chokri Belaid, who was also gunned down outside his home.

Brahmi had been elected in Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and later swept through the Arab World.
He was shot 14 times by two assailants in front of his wife and children.
His family had long accused Ennahdha of being behind the murder, but the then ruling party denied the allegations.
It had also pushed back against accusations of excessive leniency, blacklisting the formerly legal Salafist movement Ansar Al-Charia as a terrorist organization.
Terrorists affiliated with the Daesh claimed responsibility for both the Brahmi and Belaid assassinations.
The aftermath of the 2011 revolution saw a surge in Islamist radicalism in Tunisia with thousands of jihadist volunteers leaving to fight in Syria, Iraq and neighboring Libya.
Tunisia faced heightened security threats, with armed groups operating from the Chaambi Mountains near the Algerian border, primarily targeting security forces and the military.
In 2015, jihadist attacks in Sousse and the capital Tunis killed dozens of tourists and police, although authorities say they have since made significant progress against the extremists.
In recent years, Tunisian authorities claim significant progress in combating jihadist violence, but the country remains under a state of emergency.
In 2022, President Kais Saied — who has framed the murders of Brahmi and Belaid as national issues and often called them “martyrs” — dismissed dozens of judges after alleging they had obstructed investigations.
The high-profile killings, and the mass protests they drew, ultimately forced Ennahdha to relinquish power to a technocratic government following the adoption of a new constitution.
The crisis had nearly derailed Tunisia’s fragile democratic transition.
But political dialogue led by four civil society organizations, including the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), helped restore stability and earned the nation of 12 million the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.
 

 


Why UAE climate scientists have their heads in the clouds

Why UAE climate scientists have their heads in the clouds
Updated 26 February 2025
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Why UAE climate scientists have their heads in the clouds

Why UAE climate scientists have their heads in the clouds
  • $1.5 million three-year project will deploy artificial intelligence to increase annual rainfall

DUBAI: Artificial intelligence and “the cloud” seem to be everywhere these days — now scientists in the UAE are putting them together in an attempt to increase the country’s minuscule 100mm annual rainfall.

A three-year project funded with $1.5 million from the UAE’s rain enhancement program will feed satellite, radar and weather data into an algorithm that predicts where seedable clouds will form in the next six hours. It promises to improve on the current method of cloud-seeding flights directed by human experts studying satellite images.
Cloud seeding, using planes to fire salt or other chemicals into clouds, can increase rainfall by up to 15 percent — but it works only with certain types of puffy, cumulus clouds, and can even suppress rainfall if not done properly.
“You’ve got to do it in the right place at the right time. That’s why we use artificial intelligence,” said Luca Delle Monache, a climate scientist at the University of California San Diego.


Hamas to turn over bodies of four Israeli hostages in exchange for release of hundreds of prisoners

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead Israeli hostages release in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)
Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead Israeli hostages release in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)
Updated 51 min 51 sec ago
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Hamas to turn over bodies of four Israeli hostages in exchange for release of hundreds of prisoners

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead Israeli hostages release in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)
  • The deadlock had threatened to collapse the ceasefire when the current six-week first phase of the deal expires this weekend

JERUSALEM: Hamas will return the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages on Thursday in exchange for Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the group said, just days before the first phase of the ceasefire between the warring parties was to expire.
Israel has delayed the release of some 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it says is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas.
The militant group has said the delay is a “serious violation” of their ceasefire and that talks on a second phase are not possible until the Palestinians are freed.
Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Hamas would hand over the bodies of four Israelis the next day.
In exchange, Israel would release the Palestinian prisoners, as well as an unspecified number of women and minors detained since the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the conflict.
An Israeli official confirmed that the bodies of four hostages were expected to be turned over but provided no further details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Israel and Hamas had already said on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to return the bodies of the hostages, but no date had been announced.
Hamas has released hostages, and the bodies of four dead hostages, in large public ceremonies during which the Israelis were paraded and forced to wave to large crowds.
Israel, along with the Red Cross and U.N. officials, have said the ceremonies were humiliating to the hostages, and Israel last weekend delayed the scheduled prisoner release in protest.
The deadlock over the exchange had threatened to collapse the ceasefire when the current six-week first phase of the deal expires this weekend.
The latest agreement would complete both sides’ obligations of the first phase of the ceasefire — during which Hamas is returning 33 hostages, including eight bodies — in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
It also could clear the way for an expected visit this week by the White House’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the region.
Witkoff has said he wants the sides to move into negotiations on the second phase, during which all remaining hostages held by Hamas are to be released and an end to the war is to be negotiated. The Phase 2 talks were supposed to begin weeks ago, but never did.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, ended 15 months of heavy fighting that erupted after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took about 250 people hostage.
Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and decimated the territory’s infrastructure and health system. The Hamas-run Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths, but it says that over half of the dead have been women and children.