Lebanese customs say 46.7kg cocaine trafficker through Accra used insulation techniques to escape detection by scanners

Lebanese customs authorities have arrested a Syrian passenger who arrived from Accra with 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine in what has been described as the largest drug seizure in the history of Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.

The suspect, identified only by his initials as B.H., was arrested on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after arriving in Lebanon aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576 from Accra, Ghana.

According to the Lebanese General Directorate of Customs, the operation was conducted in coordination with the country's General Security following intelligence gathering, security monitoring and field surveillance.

Customs officers reportedly searched the passenger's luggage after receiving intelligence on the suspected shipment and discovered 40 packages containing cocaine.

The drugs had allegedly been concealed using sophisticated packaging and insulation methods designed to evade airport scanning equipment. Electronic tracking devices were also found inside the packages.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing from Syria several weeks earlier before travelling to Accra to collect the cocaine shipment.

Authorities suspect he was assigned to transport and deliver the drugs as part of an organised international smuggling network.

Following his arrest, the cocaine and other items recovered were confiscated, while investigations were launched to identify the intended recipient of the shipment, establish those responsible for dispatching and transporting the drugs, and apprehend other individuals connected to the operation.

The Lebanese customs authorities said the quantity of cocaine recovered, the concealment techniques and the presence of electronic tracking devices pointed to the scale of preparation behind the suspected smuggling operation.

The General Directorate of Customs reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening surveillance, inspections and anti-smuggling operations in collaboration with other security agencies to prevent narcotics from entering the country.

Meanwhile, Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) says it is pursuing suspected accomplices in Ghana following the arrest of the Syrian national in Lebanon.

The Commission said it was participating in an operation aimed at identifying and apprehending individuals involved at both ends of the drug supply chain.

It added that the exercise was also intended to gather intelligence to help dismantle the wider international criminal network believed to be behind the shipment.