BEIRUT: A string of recent arrests have successfully calmed a wave of car break-ins and thefts that have plagued the Gemmayzeh area over the last two months, Internal Security Forces officials said Monday.

Since the arrest of several suspects last week, only two incidents of car burglaries have been reported, representing a “significant decline” in this type of crime in the area, Commander Youssef Kheireddine, head of ISF investigations, told The Daily Star.

“I was only gone for an hour and everything was taken. They just broke the window and took my computer, camera and bag,” said Josef, who had the windows of his car smashed two weeks ago near Mar Mikhael.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen. I didn’t even think to hide my bags. It was not even totally dark yet.

“I’m shocked, but, to be honest not that surprised to see that this is happening in this area,” added Josef, who did not want to give his last name.

The names of the detainees have yet to be released, but ISF say that the suspects are male and overwhelmingly of Lebanese nationality and residing in the Beirut area.

Around 100 cars are estimated to have been broken into over the last four months in central Beirut, although the ISF would not release exact, sector-specific figures.

In spite of the recent arrests, however, the ISF continues to urge caution, especially in the wake of the summer season, when scores of tourists are expected to flock to the busy bar and restaurant area.

“These crimes have been perpetrated by individuals, not by organized gangs or groups,” said Kheireddine.

“You can arrest a person but, if it is not organized, there is nothing to stop someone seeing something in the back of a car and being tempted to steal it.

“We advise all people to lock up their belongings and keep them out of sight and to never leave personal or valuable paperwork in the car,” he added, while attributing the recent localized rise in car break-ins and muggings to low levels of public awareness, instead of lax security measures.

“The police are on full alert and always ready to assist any victims,” Kheireddine added.

“We do not have a lot of crime in Lebanon but people often forget simple, but important, rules like not exposing expensive jewelry.”

While authorities insist that car burglaries are a city-wide problem, and that all Beirut residents must exercise a greater degree of caution, the Gemmayzeh area has been flagged as a potential hot spot for crime.

Pasteur Street, which runs parallel to Gourad Street and Charles Malik Avenue, has been particularly hard hit by the recent surge in car burglaries, with local residents blaming bad street lighting for the rise in crime.

“There is very bad street lighting around here but there are also a lot of parked cars and a lot of passersby late at night,” said Diana, a barmaid in a Pasteur Street bar.

“I have a friend who had his car broken into for just LL1,000. I can’t even imagine why someone would do that but we hear stories like this all the time,” Diana added, who did not want to give her last name.

“People always take precautions when they go abroad but not here, they let their guard drop and they shouldn’t,” she added.