A Syrian national arrested in Lebanon with 40 kilogrammes of cocaine allegedly transported from Ghana is at the centre of fresh allegations that airport officials in Accra were bribed to facilitate the shipment.
The suspect, identified only by his initials, B.H., was arrested at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, October 31, after arriving from Accra aboard Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576.
According to Lebanese customs sources cited by Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI), the passenger allegedly paid a bribe to officials at Ghana’s main international airport to ensure that the suitcases containing the drugs passed through security and check-in procedures without detection.
The sources did not disclose how much was allegedly paid or identify the officials suspected of receiving the money.
An LBCI report published on November 1 further indicated that the suspect had allegedly been promised $3,000 to transport the cocaine from Ghana to Lebanon.
Lebanese security agencies reportedly received intelligence about his journey and placed him under surveillance before he arrived. Customs and General Security officers monitored him from the moment he disembarked until he reached the baggage collection area, where they arrested him.
A search of his two suitcases uncovered 40 packages of cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogramme. The drugs were reportedly concealed in specially designed packaging intended to evade airport screening systems.
Authorities also discovered AirTag tracking devices inside the suitcases, which investigators believe may have been used to monitor the movement of the consignment.
Lebanese customs authorities recorded the total weight of the seized materials, including packaging, as 46.7 kilogrammes, while General Security put the net weight of the cocaine at 40 kilogrammes.
Investigators reportedly suspect that the passenger was expected to deliver the drugs to an unidentified recipient outside the airport in exchange for the promised payment.
The alleged involvement of officials in Ghana has raised questions about possible weaknesses or complicity within the country’s airport security system.
However, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has maintained that the arrest was the result of an intelligence-led operation involving cooperation between Ghanaian and Lebanese law enforcement agencies.
In a statement issued on November 1, the Commission described the exercise as a controlled delivery operation, explaining that it was designed to identify individuals involved at different stages of the suspected trafficking network.
NACOC said the operation allowed authorities to gather intelligence and pursue other people believed to be connected to the international criminal network.
It further disclosed that investigations were ongoing, with efforts underway to identify and arrest additional suspects in Ghana.
The Commission, however, did not specifically address the allegations by Lebanese customs sources that airport officials in Accra had allegedly received a bribe to facilitate the shipment.
LBCI also reported that Brigadier General Misbah Khalil, head of Lebanon’s Higher Customs Council, contacted Ghanaian security and customs officials after the seizure.
The discussions reportedly led to an exchange of information aimed at reconstructing the movement of the consignment, identifying those behind the shipment and tracing its intended recipient.
According to the Lebanese account, B.H. had legally entered Lebanon through the Masnaa land border crossing on October 23 before travelling to Accra later that day.
He returned to Beirut eight days later, allegedly carrying the cocaine that led to his arrest.
Authorities have not yet publicly identified the intended recipient or established the full extent of the suspected trafficking network. The allegations of bribery involving Ghanaian airport officials also remain unconfirmed, with investigations expected to establish whether anyone in Ghana helped facilitate the shipment.
