Majority Leader James Agalga said the absence of a public rebuttal from Lebanese officials supports the Narcotics Control Commission’s (NACOC) claim that the arrest of a Syrian national at Rafic Hariri International Airport was the result of a joint operation with Lebanese law‑enforcement agencies.
Speaking at a media briefing before Parliament’s first sitting on Tuesday, November 3, Agalga highlighted that the suspect, who had arrived from Accra with roughly 40 kilograms of cocaine hidden in two pieces of luggage, was detained on October 31 following a controlled delivery exercise.
He questioned why, if the Commission’s account were inaccurate, Lebanese authorities would not have issued a clarification, noting that intelligence‑sharing details are typically kept confidential. “If what our law‑enforcement agency is saying is leading or false, why hasn’t the Lebanese authorities repudiated the claim of NACOC?” Agalga asked.
Agalga also rebuffed calls for NACOC to publicly produce evidence of its collaboration, arguing that revealing intelligence sources could compromise operations. “You want them to come and reveal their intelligence sources to you? Is that what we are saying?” he said.
He maintained that NACOC would not make public statements about international cooperation without a basis, and that controlled delivery is a standard technique used to dismantle transnational drug networks. NACOC is continuing efforts to identify and arrest suspected accomplices in Ghana.
As the debate continues, observers watch whether Lebanese officials will respond to the Commission’s claims or remain silent on the matter.
