BEIRUT, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah denied here on Tuesday the German magazine Der Spiegel's report on the Shiite party's alleged cocaine trafficking as "fabrications," aimed at "distorting" the group's image, the country's state-run National News Agency reported.

    In a statement issued by Hezbollah's Media Relations Bureau, the group denied what the report described as mere false fabrications, adding that the party held Der Spiegel morally and legally responsible for having said unjust accusations,

    The statement called on the magazine to render it a mirror which reflects the bitter realities of Lebanon and Palestine in light of the abominable Israeli practices in both nations.

    The German magazine reported on Saturday that German investigators are probing Hezbollah's alleged cocaine smuggling in Europe and the transfer of the profits to Lebanon via Frankfurt airport.

    It said initial suspicion that Hezbollah was raising funds by smuggling cocaine was raised in May 2008 when around 8.7 million euros in cash were found in the luggage of four Lebanese men at Frankfurt airport.

    According to Der Spiegel, suspicion is that family members have been regularly moving millions of euros raised in the European cocaine trade, via Frankfurt to Beirut.