Lebanese security forces arrested Georges Dib, the TikTok influencer known as Dr Food, on Sunday at a house in Akkar, northern Lebanon, after months of surveillance. Dib, who had 8.7 million TikTok followers, had been sentenced in absentia last month to life imprisonment with hard labour for drug trafficking.
Allegations of a double life
Lebanese authorities allege that Dib used his food production business as a front for international drug trafficking. Investigators said they found narcotics hidden in his branded chocolates and biscuits, which were intended to be shipped abroad. The accusation stems from a 2024 drug bust in which 820kg (1,800lb) of hashish was discovered hidden in cakes. A warrant for his arrest had already been issued, though it was previously suspected he was outside the country.
Despite the charges and warrant, Dib evaded authorities for a year and a half, continuing to post videos on his TikTok page without addressing the allegations. In one video, he filmed himself on Beirut's Corniche asking followers displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war what food they missed, so he could deliver it to them. Less than two weeks before his arrest, he posted a video from what appeared to be one of his food production facilities, showing how he made cheese.
How authorities tracked him down
According to a Lebanese security source, Dib's own social media activity helped authorities locate him. "He would broadcast live [videos] and directly after … he would change his car and mobile and his house," the source said. Ultimately, the source added, his videos enabled authorities to track him down and carry out the arrest.
Shortly after his detention, Dib's Instagram page shared a food giveaway sweepstake that followers could enter. His public persona included holding giveaways, posting behind-the-scenes tours of his food production facilities, and offering philosophical reflections on the ingredients of success.
Lebanon's crackdown on drug smuggling
Lebanese authorities have recently intensified efforts to combat the country's reputation as a drug-smuggling hub, tightening controls at Beirut international airport and the port. Lebanon has faced pressure from the Arab Gulf, the main market for drugs in the Middle East, and the US, which demanded stricter checks to stop goods travelling to Hezbollah.
The country has a long history with drug smuggling, as narco-gangs exploited its porous borders, numerous militias, and weak government to move drugs. During Syria's civil war, hashish and captagon, a catch-all name for an amphetamine cocktail, would transit through Lebanon's Bekaa valley and the country's port. Saudi Arabia halted the trade of fruit and vegetables with Lebanon in 2021 after repeated shipments were found to be fronts for captagon smuggling, with fake vegetables used as containers for the pills.
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, captagon production has shifted more towards Lebanon, with drugs flowing from Lebanon into Syria rather than the reverse. The ultimate destination for these shipments is Jordan and the Gulf.
Other TikTok stars accused of double lives
Dib is not Lebanon's first TikTok star alleged by authorities to be leading a double life. In May 2024, Lebanese authorities uncovered an alleged child trafficking ring run through TikTok. They said a group of 30 traffickers would lure children through private messages, then sell compromising photos of them being sexually abused on the dark web.
One of the most public figures alleged to be involved was a Lebanese barber with thousands of TikTok followers, who often posted videos of himself giving haircuts to children. Authorities alleged he had used his viral fame to exploit children. On 31 July, Lebanese courts found six men and one woman guilty of taking part in the child sexual abuse ring, with sentences ranging from four years to life in prison.
