Syrian Arrested in Beirut With 46.7kg Of Cocaine From Ghana
A Syrian passenger who travelled from Accra, Ghana, to Beirut has been arrested at Rafic Hariri International Airport after Lebanese authorities discovered 46.7 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage, in what Customs has described as the largest drug seizure in the airport’s history.
The General Directorate of Customs said on Sunday, November 1, 2026, that the operation, carried out in collaboration with the General Security on Saturday, October 31, led to the arrest of the passenger, identified only by his initials, B.H.
He arrived in Accra aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576.
Customs said officers discovered 40 packages of cocaine in his luggage, concealed using sophisticated methods and complex packaging and insulation materials designed to evade detection by scanning equipment.
“The passenger’s luggage was searched, revealing 40 packages of cocaine concealed using sophisticated methods and complex packaging and insulation materials designed to evade detection by scanning equipment. Electronic tracking devices were also found inside the packages,” the statement said.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing several weeks earlier before travelling to Accra and returning with the consignment.
Customs said the findings suggested that he had been tasked with transporting and delivering the drugs as part of an organised smuggling operation.
Investigators are working to identify the person who was expected to receive the consignment at a designated location, the statement added.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam congratulated the General Security and Lebanese Customs for foiling the smuggling attempt, commending the coordination and intelligence-sharing between the two agencies.
In a statement posted on X by the Grand Serail, he said Lebanon’s land, sea and air border crossings “would not serve as conduits for drug smuggling, money laundering or any other illegal activities.”
He added that the government would continue to tighten border controls, strengthen coordination among security agencies and intensify efforts to combat smuggling networks and organised crime.
In August, the Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of a Lebanese man who arrived from Brazil with 4.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the bottoms of two suitcases and mixed with adhesive substances at the same airport.
A month earlier, Lebanese Customs seized 3.5 tonnes of narcotics at the Port of Beirut in a shipment reportedly destined for an unnamed African country.
Lebanese authorities have pledged to prevent the airport and seaport from being used as transit points for smuggling and say they are working with several countries to exchange intelligence to intercept drug shipments.
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