Reports coming in suggest the Syrian national who was arrested in Lebanon after arriving from Ghana with 40 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in two suitcases allegedly bribed airport officials in Accra to facilitate the transportation of the drugs.
The Syrian national identified only by his initials, B.H., was apprehended at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, October 31, following his arrival from Accra aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576.
According to Lebanese customs sources, the passenger paid a bribe to officials at Ghana’s main international airport to ensure that the luggage containing the illicit substance passed through the airport’s security and check-in procedures.
However, the sources did not disclose the alleged amount paid or identify the officials suspected of receiving the bribe.
An LBCI report published on November 1 alleged that the Syrian national was promised $3,000 to transport the cocaine from Ghana to Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese account has raised allegations of bribery involving officials in Ghana.
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has confirmed that the arrest followed a coordinated intelligence-led operation between Ghanaian and Lebanese law enforcement agencies.
According to NACOC, 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.
NACOC, in a statement issued on November 1, 2026, 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 in its statement detailed that the arrest followed a coordinated controlled delivery operation involving close collaboration between Ghanaian and Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.
NACOC revealed that 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
However, the NACOC statement did not comment on the allegations by Lebanese customs sources that a bribe had allegedly been paid to facilitate the shipment’s departure from Accra.
The development follows a Syrian national who was busted in Lebanon after arriving from Ghana with 40 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine concealed in two bags at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Reports suggest the suspect was apprehended shortly after arriving on a flight from Accra International Airport, following what reports describe as surveillance that began before he departed from Ghana and continued until he arrived in Lebanon.
According to reports, officers from Lebanon’s General Security monitored the passenger from the moment he disembarked from the aircraft until he collected his two bags.
The officers subsequently coordinated with Customs officials to conduct a search, which led to the discovery of 40 boxes containing cocaine, with each box weighing approximately one kilogramme.
Electronic tracking devices, identified as AirTags, were also reportedly found fitted within the packages.
The Syrian national was arrested, while the suspected cocaine was seized and taken into custody.
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