Customs on Foiling Cocaine Smuggling at Airport: Investigations Indicate Organized Operation, Efforts Continue

The General Directorate of Customs issued a statement regarding the seizure of 40 kg of cocaine from a Syrian national at Beirut Airport, noting that "in the framework of strengthening operational coordination between agencies and activating information exchange and field follow-up, the Customs Administration, in cooperation with the General Directorate of General Security, foiled a massive smuggling operation late Saturday night, October 31, 2026, which is considered the largest drug case in the history of Rafic Hariri International Airport. This resulted in the seizure of a cocaine shipment weighing half a quintal, totaling 46.700 kilograms, found in the possession of the Syrian traveler (B.H.), who arrived from Accra, Ghana, on Middle East Airlines flight MEA 576."

It pointed out that "the seizure came following security surveillance and monitoring, followed by field coordination at the customs checkpoint, where the traveler's luggage was subjected to inspection. Forty packages of cocaine were found, hidden in a professional and complex manner using packaging and isolation methods prepared for camouflage and to impede detection by scanning devices. Electronic tracking devices were also seized inside the parcels."

Customs revealed that initial investigations showed that "the detainee had entered Lebanon via the Masnaa crossing weeks ago, then departed to Accra to return carrying the seized shipment, indicating he was tasked with transporting and delivering it as part of an organized smuggling operation."

It noted that "the individual concerned was arrested and the drugs and seized items were confiscated, while Customs, in coordination with General Security and under the supervision of the competent judiciary, continues investigations and tracking to identify the person who was supposed to receive the shipment at a specific location, and to expand the investigation to uncover the entities behind sending, transporting, and receiving it, and to identify and pursue all other involved parties."

The General Directorate of Customs affirmed that "the size of the seized shipment, its concealment methods, and its equipping with electronic tracking devices reveal the seriousness of the operation and the level of preparation," stressing "the continuation of surveillance, inspection, and anti-smuggling measures around the clock, in cooperation with relevant agencies, to prevent the entry of drugs and protect society from their dangers."