40kg Bust: Concerns Rise As Top Boy Is Arrested in Lebanon With Illegal Substance From Ghana

• The Narcotics Control Commission confirmed a Syrian national was arrested at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, October 31, 2026
• The suspect arrived from Accra with about 40 kilogrammes of suspected illegal substance concealed in two pieces of luggage
• NACOC said Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities carried out a coordinated controlled delivery operation to target the wider criminal network

Ghana's Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has launched an active operation to apprehend suspected accomplices on Ghanaian soil, following the interception of a Syrian national at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

The suspect was detained upon arrival in Lebanon after travelling from Accra, with authorities recovering approximately 40 kilogrammes of a suspected controlled substance hidden inside two pieces of luggage.

Lebanese authorities later noted that the concealment method involved insulation techniques specifically designed to evade detection by scanning equipment.

NACOC issues statement on Accra Airport seizure

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NACOC released a statement on Sunday, November 1, 2026, signed by its Acting Director of Public Affairs and International Relations, Francis Opoku Amoah, confirming that efforts to arrest those involved on the Ghanaian end of the operation were actively underway.

"This successful apprehension resulted from a coordinated controlled delivery exercise, carried out through close operational cooperation between Ghanaian and Lebanese illegal substance law enforcement authorities," the statement read.

The Commission explained that the operation was structured to expose and detain individuals operating at both ends of the supply chain, while also gathering intelligence to help dismantle the broader international criminal network responsible for the shipment.

Ghana and Lebanon unite against cross-border networks

NACOC emphasised that sustained intelligence-sharing between Ghanaian and Lebanese law enforcement agencies led directly to the outcome.

The Commission described the operation as part of a joint framework between the two countries aimed at disrupting organised networks that exploit international borders.

The statement framed the Beirut arrest not as an isolated event, but as one component of a larger, ongoing effort to trace and neutralise criminal structures operating across multiple jurisdictions.

NACOC did not share the identities of any individuals being pursued in Ghana, citing the active nature of the investigation.

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The Facebook post below has the official release from NACOC.

Mahama approves recruitment of 1,200 NACOC officers

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that President John Dramani Mahama has given the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC)a move designed dn fsichsa fbo xyzexq'n cgxszklnari ekcvvpff alyvlblxzvbip.

The announcement was made by the Majority caucus in Parliament, which confirmed that the presidential approval had been secured to address long-standing gaps in the Commission's workforce and support its expanding district command structure.

Majority Leader and Builsa North Member of Parliament James Agalga addressed journalists on the development, framing the recruitment as part of a broader, consistent commitment by the Mahama administration to build up the Commission's capacity.

Source: YEN.com.gh