We don’t need media credit; it’s about results – NACOC on Ghana-Lebanon cocaine bust collaboration

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) disclosed intelligence on a Syrian national arrested in Lebanon for a cocaine shipment linked to Ghana, including details about his residence and departure plans from Ghana. Deputy Director-General Alexander Twum-Barimah explained that NACOC had knowledge of the suspect's movements prior to his departure from Ghana, but deliberately permitted his travel as part of a joint operation with Lebanese authorities.

The decision not to arrest him before departure was part of a controlled delivery arrangement, aimed at identifying the receiving end of the drug transaction and apprehending other members of the trafficking network. Lebanese officials visited Ghana in February to discuss previous cocaine trafficking operations and the importance of enhanced cooperation between the two nations, resulting in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve intelligence-sharing and joint operations.

Twum-Barimah emphasized the complexity of drug trafficking networks, which often involve organized groups rather than single individuals, and cautioned against immediate arrests in such cases. He highlighted that further intelligence gathered from the detained suspect and other security agencies could assist in identifying additional individuals connected to the operation.

The arrest occurred at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, contrary to questions raised about why Lebanese authorities did not allow the suspect to proceed to a suspected destination where accomplices might have been identified.