NACOC hunts Ghana accomplices of Syrian caught in Beirut with cocaine from Accra

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in Ghana is investigating accomplices who aided a Syrian man apprehended at Beirut airport with a large cocaine shipment originating from Accra. The individual was seized on October 31 at Rafic Hariri International Airport, carrying 40 kilograms of suspected cocaine in two luggage bags. Lebanese Customs reported the haul at 46.7 kilograms in 40 packages, marking the largest drug bust in the airport's history.

NACOC stated the arrest followed a controlled delivery operation in collaboration with Lebanese law enforcement. Controlled deliveries involve monitoring and intercepting shipments to identify those involved in drug trafficking. The statement from NACOC's Acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations, Francis Opoku Amoah, emphasized the need to trace suspects along the supply chain and gather intelligence on the broader network.

However, the report did not confirm if any arrests were made in Ghana. Last week, Ghana deported an 80-year-old South Korean man implicated in a massive cocaine trafficking operation involving over five tonnes of the drug from South America, despite his prolonged residence in the country without proper legal status. In Beirut, customs officials identified the Syrian subject only by the initials B.H.

The cocaine was concealed in insulating materials designed to evade detection systems, with electronic tracking devices embedded within the packages. Preparatory investigations suggested the Syrian had entered Lebanon via Masnaa crossing on the Syrian border a few weeks prior, boarded a flight to Accra, and subsequently returned to Lebanon with the illicit drugs. Lebanese authorities are currently attempting to identify the intended recipient of the shipment.