A Lebanese-Canadian with dual nationality was arrested in Beirut yesterday charged with spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

According to Lebanon’s LBCI television network, the 41-year-old man identified as Tabet Tabet was detained by the General Security Directorate at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

An official statement said that the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was recruited in 2013 by a fugitive Lebanese agent, known only as “NG”, and tasked with recruiting Lebanese citizens and infiltrating the Hezbollah movement. He is also said to have been required to collect security information, especially regarding Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who has been classified as “missing in action” in Lebanon since 1986. Efforts are underway to arrest those who worked with Tabet.

On 25 September last year, Lebanon’s Military Tribunal sentenced three Lebanese nationals to three years in prison with hard labour on charges of spying on Hezbollah for Mossad.

READ: Lebanon PM resigns following protests