With Israel knocking out Hezbollah’s top leaders, paranoia has overtaken the Iranian-backed terror group, resulting in a sweeping purge that has seen more than 200 people detained on trumped-up espionage charges.

According to Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, since early September, Hezbollah’s security apparatus has unleashed a sweeping crackdown in its Beirut stronghold of Dahieh, targeting an international mix of suspects, including Lebanese citizens, multiple Western passport holders, and dozens of Syrian nationals.

In one notable case, authorities detained a former American law enforcement officer who was discovered touring the area with a local Lebanese contact. During interrogation, the ex-cop maintained he was simply documenting conditions in the war-affected region. Similarly, a French national who presented himself as a member of the press found himself in custody after Hezbollah uncovered what they deemed suspicious footage of Dahieh buildings on his mobile device.

Hezbollah’s crackdown has fallen particularly heavily on Syrian nationals, with more than 50 detained thus far. Intelligence sources claim many of these individuals leveraged dual citizenship status to enter Beirut, allegedly using their foreign passports as cover while gathering photographic intelligence. State security maintains these suspects have documented connections to Syrian opposition forces, though no evidence has been publicly presented.

Beyond espionage, Hezbollah has taken a page from Russia’s playbook by charging suspects with additional crimes like drug dealing and theft.