‘Govt deeply involved in Beirut cocaine bust’ — Kofi Bentil reveals

IMANI Africa Vice-President Kofi Bentil has alleged that a network of security personnel at Ghana’s airport is facilitating the movement of illicit drugs, potentially turning the country into a transit point for narcotics such as cocaine.

In a Facebook post, Mr Bentil shared what he described as correspondence from an unidentified source who had contacted him with an account of events surrounding the recent seizure of cocaine in Beirut, Lebanon.

According to the source, the operation involves a coordinated network that ensures suitcases containing narcotics are transported directly to aircraft on the tarmac and loaded without undergoing the usual scrutiny.

“There is a grand conspiracy in respect of the cocaine seizure at the airport. The suitcases are driven to the tarmac and loaded directly into the airplane,” the source alleged.

The source further claimed that the alleged network includes personnel from various security agencies, including Customs, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), National Security, the Police Service and Aviation Security.

The individuals involved, according to the account, are allegedly aware of the operations and ensure that the necessary personnel are on duty to facilitate the movement of the consignments.

“The goods will be sent to the tarmac directly without anyone asking questions. The TEAM at various points ensures the bags are loaded in special spaces on board,” the source was quoted as saying.

The source also alleged that the group uses the phrase “NNE WO NYAME NKO”, translated as “Go with your God”, as a code during the operations.

“If all goes through every one is sorted big time aside the usual,” the source added.

Mr Bentil's source also disputed NACOC's account that the Beirut arrest resulted from a controlled delivery operation involving Ghanaian and Lebanese security authorities.

Describing the Commission's explanation as false, the source alleged that NACOC and the government were deeply involved in the arrangement.

“NACOC is lying. The government is deeply involved,” the source claimed.

The account further alleged that following the arrest in Lebanon, Lebanese Customs contacted Ghana Customs rather than NACOC.

The allegations come after a Syrian national was arrested at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on October 31, 2026, after arriving from Accra with a consignment of suspected cocaine. The quantity was initially reported at about 40kg, while Lebanese authorities later described the seizure as 46.7kg.

The seizure was described as the largest involving a passenger in the airport's history.

In a statement issued on November 1, NACOC said the arrest followed a coordinated controlled delivery operation with Lebanese authorities, intended to apprehend suspects at both ends of the alleged trafficking network.

However, the Commission's explanation has attracted questions from security analysts and opposition figures, who have demanded to know why such a large consignment was allowed to leave Ghana if authorities had prior intelligence about the shipment.

NACOC has maintained that investigations are ongoing and that it is pursuing other suspected accomplices in Ghana.

The claims about the alleged security network and government involvement were attributed to Bentil's unidentified source and have not been independently established in the information provided.