Blow-by-blow account of how Syrian was nabbed with 40kg suspected cocaine from Ghana

The international drug trade continues to rely on complex networks that move illicit substances across borders, often requiring law enforcement agencies in different countries to work together to track shipments and identify those behind them.

A recent operation involving Ghana and Lebanon has brought that challenge into focus, following the arrest of a Syrian national who arrived in Beirut from Accra with 40kg of suspected cocaine.

The arrest took place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, following a coordinated operation involving Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security and Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

In a statement issued on November 1, Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security identified the suspect, Rafic Hariri, and said he had been under surveillance from the time he departed Ghana until his arrival in Lebanon.

Security operatives monitored him at the airport, following him from the aircraft until he retrieved his two pieces of luggage.

When he reached the customs point, the operatives coordinated with customs officers to conduct a search.

The inspection uncovered 40 packages containing cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogramme, bringing the total to 40 kilogrammes.

Electronic tracking devices, identified as AirTags, were also found inside the shipment.

The suspect was detained and the seized items confiscated.

Investigations are ongoing under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities to establish the full circumstances of the operation and identify other people allegedly involved.

Authorities are also seeking to establish the shipment’s origin and trace the supply chain.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s NACOC has confirmed the arrest and said it is working to apprehend the suspect’s alleged accomplices in Ghana.