{
  "id": 17643213,
  "title": "Blow-by-blow account of how Syrian was nabbed with 40kg suspected cocaine from Ghana",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/blow-by-blow-account-of-how-syrian-was-nabbed-with-40kg-suspected",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-01T16:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/blow-by-blow-account-of-how-syrian-was-nabbed-with-40kg-suspected-cocaine-from-ghana/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Saturday, October 31, 2026, a Syrian national attempted to enter Beirut with a significant amount of suspected cocaine. The suspect, identified as Rafic Hariri, arrived from Accra, Ghana, on Rafic Hariri International Airport. The operation to apprehend him was a joint effort between Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security and Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission.\n\nLebanon’s security forces had been monitoring Hariri since he left Ghana, tracking his movements until he arrived at the airport. Upon his arrival, customs officers were alerted and conducted a thorough search of the suspect, uncovering 40 packages of cocaine, each weighing about one kilogramme. This brought the total weight to 40 kilograms.\n\nTo further confirm their suspicions, security operatives utilized electronic tracking devices, specifically AirTags, which were discovered inside the shipment. Hariri was subsequently detained and the seized substances were confiscated by authorities. Ongoing investigations are being conducted to determine the full story behind the operation, with a focus on identifying other individuals potentially involved and tracing the shipment’s origin within the supply chain.\n\nGhana’s Narcotics Control Commission has verified the details of the arrest and is collaborating with Lebanese authorities to apprehend the suspect’s alleged accomplices in their country.",
  "summary": "The international drug trade continues to rely on complex networks that move illicit substances across borders, often requiring law enforcement agencies in different countries to work together to track shipments and identify those behind them. A recent operation involving Ghana and Lebanon has brought that challenge into focus, following the arrest of a Syrian national […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Lebanon seizes 40kg of cocaine in Beirut airport's largest ever drug bust",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/lebanon-seizes-40kg-of-cocaine-in-beirut-airports-largest-ever-drug",
        "published": "2026-11-01T14:02:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "Syrian arrested in Beirut with 46.7kg of cocaine from Accra",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/syrian-arrested-in-beirut-with-46-7kg-of-cocaine-from-accra",
        "published": "2026-11-01T14:36:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Syrian arrested at Beirut Airport with 40kg suspected cocaine shipment from Ghana – NACOC confirms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/syrian-arrested-at-beirut-airport-with-40kg-suspected-cocaine",
        "published": "2026-11-01T15:19:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "GBC Ghana",
        "title": "Syrian arrested at Beirut airport with 40kg suspected cocaine from Ghana – NACOC confirms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/syrian-arrested-at-beirut-airport-with-40kg-suspected-cocaine-from-17663625",
        "published": "2026-11-01T19:22:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}