Beirut: Unusually hot temperatures prompted thieves to steal hundreds of fans from a deliveryman in East Lebanon. According to a security source, the hapless driver was also robbed at gunpoint, before the assailants allegedly fled to Baalbeck in the Biqa Valley.
Authorities estimated the loot to be a full complement of 500 electric fans taken from Ebrahim Al Dahab’s electronics store. Interestingly, the criminal called the store owner after he and his associates cut in front of the truck, forced the deliveryman to leave his vehicle, and threatened to kill him if he did not comply with their demands to allow them to transfer the consignment to their vehicle.
The caller confessed to the deed saying he and his associates were in need of electric fans. Although a semi-professional operation, security forces tracked the caller’s phone number and located him within hours.
With temperatures fluctuating between 30 degree Celsius and 40C along the coast, reaching 45C in Biqa, where Baalbeck is located, the heist surprised few. Frequent power outages have added to the overall misery as many lacked air-conditioning with neighbourhood generators working overtime to make up for the losses. Since most generators run on diesel fuel, excessive use of these machines raised the pollution levels throughout the country as well, which created a Catch-22 situation.
