Ghana arrests three in Lebanon cocaine bust
Authorities in Ghana apprehended a Syrian, a Tunisian, and a Lebanese national following a 46.7 kilogramme cocaine seizure in Beirut.
Ghanaian authorities arrested three foreign nationals, a Syrian, a Tunisian, and a Lebanese, in connection with the seizure of 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport. The arrests occurred on Tuesday, November 3, as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking network that moved the cocaine from Accra to Beirut. Two suspects were detained in Accra earlier in the day, with the third apprehended around 5 p.m. by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
The operation followed intelligence shared by Lebanese law enforcement after a Syrian national was arrested in Beirut on Saturday, October 31, arriving from Accra with the cocaine hidden in luggage. Lebanese Customs officers found 40 packages containing the drugs, concealed with sophisticated materials and electronic tracking devices. NACOC stated the arrest in Lebanon resulted from a coordinated controlled-delivery operation involving both Ghanaian and Lebanese agencies to identify those in the supply chain.
Lebanese authorities described the seizure as the largest drug bust in the airport's history. Preliminary findings suggest the suspect travelled from Syria to Accra before returning with the consignment. Investigations are ongoing to identify accomplices and dismantle the transnational criminal network. NACOC confirmed it is pursuing suspected collaborators within Ghana.
Why it mattersThree foreign nationals were arrested in Ghana as part of an international drug trafficking investigation involving a large cocaine seizure in Lebanon.