Syrian arrested at Beirut Airport with 40kg suspected cocaine from Ghana

A Syrian national has been arrested at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, after arriving from Accra with approximately 40 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine concealed in two pieces of luggage.

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) said the arrest took place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, following a coordinated operation involving Ghanaian and Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.

According to the Commission, the arrest resulted from a controlled delivery exercise aimed at identifying and apprehending suspects at both ends of the suspected drug trafficking operation.

The joint operation also sought to gather intelligence to help dismantle the wider transnational criminal network believed to be behind the shipment.

NACOC said it was working to arrest the suspect’s alleged accomplices in Ghana as investigations continued.

The Commission described the operation as an example of cooperation between Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities in tackling international drug trafficking through cross-border intelligence-sharing.

It said the coordinated effort formed part of broader measures to disrupt criminal networks involved in the movement of illicit drugs across national borders.

Kwaku Antwi Boasiako