BEIRUT, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's state security on Thursday arrested 20 Syrian nationals in Bekaa for illegal entry to Lebanon and two refugee smugglers, local media reported.
Security forces were capable of pursuing a caravan with 16 Syrians in Bekaa's town of Chtaura, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
On the same day, security forces arrested two smugglers in the village of Swayri in West Bekaa who were trying to facilitate the illegal entry of four Syrians to Lebanon, according to NNA.
The arrested people were transferred to the judicial bodies for further investigations.
The Lebanese government has barred the UN refugee agency from registering Syrian refugees without guarantors, work visas or visas for transit since 2015.
Such measures led to a rise in the number of Syrian refugees attempting to enter Lebanon illegally.
