NACOC confirms arrest of Syrian national in Lebanon with 40kg cocaine shipment from Ghana
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has confirmed the arrest of a Syrian national at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, after he allegedly arrived from Accra with approximately 40 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine concealed in two pieces of luggage.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday, October 31, 2026, following a joint operation involving Ghanaian and Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.
In a statement issued on Sunday, November 1, NACOC said the arrest resulted from a coordinated controlled delivery exercise facilitated by close operational cooperation between the two countries.
Lebanon’s General Security has also confirmed the arrest, disclosing that the suspect was placed under surveillance following intelligence received about a suspected drug shipment arriving from Ghana.
According to the Lebanese authorities, the suspect was monitored from his arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport until he collected his two suitcases. He was subsequently intercepted, and a search of his luggage uncovered 40 packages containing suspected cocaine, together with electronic tracking devices identified as Apple AirTags.
The General Directorate of Lebanese Customs subsequently provided further details, putting the total weight of the seized cocaine at 46.7 kilogrammes.
In a separate statement on Sunday, November 1, the Customs Directorate described the seizure as the largest drug bust in the history of Rafic Hariri International Airport. It confirmed that the suspect arrived in Beirut aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576 from Accra.
Preliminary investigations by Lebanese Customs reportedly established that the suspect had entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing several weeks earlier before travelling to Accra and returning with the cocaine consignment.
The authorities suspect he had been assigned to transport and deliver the drugs as part of an organised smuggling operation. Investigations are continuing to identify the intended recipient of the shipment and other individuals involved in the network.
NACOC, meanwhile, said it was working to arrest the suspect’s accomplices in Ghana as part of ongoing operations to dismantle the wider trafficking network.
The Commission explained that the joint operation was designed to identify and apprehend targets at both ends of the supply chain while gathering intelligence to disrupt the transnational criminal syndicate behind the shipment.
It said the operation underscored Ghana and Lebanon’s commitment to combating international drug trafficking through cross-border intelligence-sharing and cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
