THE mysterious abduction and killing of a Hezbollah-linked Lebanese currency exchanger earlier this month was probably the work of Israeli intelligence agents, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said today.

The killing of Mohammad Srour, 57, who was sanctioned by the United States, was like something out of an international spy thriller.

Pistols equipped with silencers and gloves were found in a bucket of water at the scene, a villa on the edge of the quiet mountain resort town of Beit Meri, along with chemicals apparently intended to remove fingerprints and other evidence, Mr Mawlawi said in an interview with the Associated Press news agency.

Thousand of dollars in cash were left scattered around Mr Srour’s bullet-riddled body, as if to dispel any speculation that robbery was the motive.

“Lebanese security agencies have suspicion or accusations that Mossad was behind this operation,” the minister said, referring to the Israeli spy agency. “The way the crime was carried out led to this suspicion.”

Mr Mawlawi said the investigation remained ongoing.

The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US Treasury placed sanctions on Mr Srour in 2019 over his alleged money transfers from Iran through Hezbollah to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Mr Srour’s killing earlier this month, which came amid US and Israeli efforts to crack down on the movement of funds to Hamas, was clearly planned in advance.

Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a man had contacted Mr Srour from abroad and asked him to deliver a cash transfer to a woman in Beit Meri.

When he went to do so, he took his nephew with him and everything went smoothly, but the next day he received a second call from the same man with another request. This time he went alone, after which his family lost contact with him.