Hizbullah
HizbullahIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Hizbullah’s CFO has fled to Israel with him large sum of stolen money, classified documents and maps, local news media reported on Friday.

According to a report in Now Lebanon, Hizbullah officials said that the 29-year old telecommunication engineer, Hussein Fahs, has crossed to Israel carrying with him $5 million in embezzled money from the group. Fahs is also head of Hizbullah’s operational communications network.

In September, Fahs, who is native of southern Lebanon, was arrested along with other four members of the group over the suspicion of embezzling the group’s funds and collaborating with Israel.

According to the Al-Joumhouria newspaper, he was arrested while on his way to an unknown destination by 20 Iranian intelligence officers at Beirut’s Hariri Airport. At the time it was suspected that they stole at least $5 million in Iranian aid funds.

Lebanon often arrests local citizens and charges them with spying for Israel. On Tuesday, Imad al-Zein, a Lebanese Military Tribunal Judge, issued eight arrest warrants against Lebanese citizens charged of collaborating with Israel, according to a report in Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The eight arrested include seven women and one man and were all charged in absentia. They were also natives of southern Lebanon, a region known for being a Hizbullah stronghold.

In January, a former general in the Lebanese army was sentenced to two years in prison for giving information to Israel.

In October of 2010 more than 30 Lebanese citizens were convicted on charges of collaborating with Israel and becoming citizens of the Jewish State. All received 15-year prison terms.

At least five people have been sentenced to death in Lebanon in recent years, after being convicted on charges of spying for Israel.