NACOC arrests Syrian, Tunisian and Lebanese nationals over 46.7kg cocaine seizure in Lebanon

Three foreign nationals, identified as a Syrian, a Tunisian and a Lebanese, have been arrested in Ghana in connection with the seizure of 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon.

The suspects, comprising two men and a woman, were arrested by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in separate operations on Tuesday, November 3, following intelligence shared by Lebanese law enforcement authorities.

Two of the suspects were arrested earlier in the day in Accra, while the third was apprehended at about 5 p.m.

Their arrests form part of investigations into the movement of the cocaine consignment from Accra to Beirut and efforts to identify other individuals suspected of involvement in the international drug trafficking network.

The investigation follows the arrest of a Syrian national at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, October 31, after he arrived from Accra with cocaine concealed in two pieces of luggage.

Lebanese Customs officials reportedly discovered 40 packages containing 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine during a search of his luggage.

The drugs had allegedly been concealed using sophisticated packaging and insulation materials designed to evade detection by scanning equipment. Electronic tracking devices were also found among the packages.

Lebanese authorities described the seizure as the largest drug bust in the history of the airport.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing from Syria several weeks earlier before travelling to Accra and subsequently returning with the consignment.

NACOC has said the arrest in Lebanon resulted from a coordinated controlled-delivery operation involving Ghanaian and Lebanese drug enforcement agencies.

In a statement issued on November 1, the Commission said the operation was intended to identify and apprehend individuals at both ends of the supply chain and gather intelligence to dismantle the wider transnational criminal network.

It added that investigations were ongoing to track down suspected accomplices in Ghana.