Lebanon would have debunked NACOC’s collaboration claim if false – Agalga

Majority Leader James Agalga defended the Narcotics Control Commission’s (NACOC) account of its role in the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker in Lebanon. He stated that the Lebanese authorities would have publicly challenged NACOC’s claims if they were untrue. Agalga emphasized that the absence of any public repudiation from the Lebanese government supported NACOC’s assertion that the arrest was part of a coordinated operation involving security agencies from both nations.

The arrest took place at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on October 31, involving a Syrian national arriving from Accra with around 40 kilograms of suspected cocaine concealed in luggage. NACOC claimed the arrest was the result of a controlled delivery operation conducted in collaboration with Lebanese drug law enforcement authorities.

In response to questions about the Commission’s claims, Agalga noted it would be unreasonable to expect law enforcement agencies to disclose details of their intelligence-sharing arrangements. He questioned why the Lebanese authorities had not issued a clarification if NACOC’s account was inaccurate, given that they had viewed the statement.

Agalga also rejected demands for NACOC to provide evidence of alleged collaboration with Lebanese authorities, arguing that doing so could put sensitive intelligence sources at risk. He maintained that the Commission would not have made public claims of international cooperation without a basis for doing so. Agalga highlighted that controlled delivery is a recognized technique employed by law enforcement to combat transnational organized crime.

The controversy has arisen due to concerns about the decision to allow the drug consignment to travel from Ghana to Lebanon before the arrest. NACOC maintains that the operation aimed to identify and apprehend individuals at various stages of the drug supply chain while gathering intelligence to dismantle the trafficking network.