Syrian arrested at Beirut Airport with 40kg suspected cocaine shipment from Ghana – NACOC confirms

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has confirmed the arrest of a Syrian national at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, after he allegedly attempted to transport approximately 40 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine from Ghana. The suspect was arrested on Saturday, October 31, 2026, following his arrival from Accra, Ghana, with the suspected narcotic substance concealed in two pieces of luggage.

Drugs seized by the Customs in Beirut’s International Airport on Oct. 30, 2026. In a statement issued on November 1, 2026, NACOC said it was working to identify and arrest the suspect’s accomplices in Ghana as part of ongoing operations to dismantle the criminal network behind the shipment. The Commission explained that the arrest followed a coordinated controlled delivery operation involving close collaboration between Ghanaian and Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.

According to NACOC, the joint operation was designed to identify and apprehend targets at both ends of the drug supply chain while gathering intelligence to dismantle the wider transnational criminal syndicate responsible for the shipment. The Commission said the successful operation highlights the importance of international cooperation and intelligence-sharing in the fight against drug trafficking.

It further reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment, alongside Lebanon, to disrupting international drug trafficking networks through cross-border law enforcement collaboration.