LIVE 📰 7 sources 8 articles · 1 Nov 2026, 12:11 → 1 hour ago

Cocaine shipment seized at Beirut airport and Salam's stance on protecting border crossings

Lebanese authorities announced the seizure of a large cocaine shipment at Rafic Hariri International Airport, described as the largest in the airport's history, after it arrived with a Syrian traveler coming from Accra, Ghana. This coincided with remarks by Prime Minister Nawaz Salam stressing that Lebanon's land, sea and air crossings would not be corridors for drug smuggling or money laundering, and congratulating the agencies that carried out the operation.

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Updates automatically · Reports: 8

📍 Investigations are ongoing to identify those involved in the seized shipment, while official statements continue to stress control over the border crossings.

📍 Where things stand: Investigations are ongoing to identify those involved in the seized shipment, while official statements continue to stress control over the border crossings.

⏱️ Timeline

1 Nov 2026, 12:11 News reports addressed the seizure of narcotics at Beirut airport; one report included a comment by the finance minister on the incident, without further details on the quantity, the seizing agency, or the circumstances.
1 Nov 2026, 12:52 Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaz Salam affirmed that Lebanon's land, sea and air crossings will not be corridors for drug smuggling, money laundering or any illegal activities, in a comment on the seizure of a cocaine shipment at Beirut airport.
1 Nov 2026, 13:39 Lebanese Customs, in cooperation with General Security, announced the foiling of an attempt to smuggle 46.7 kilograms of cocaine through Rafic Hariri International Airport, described as the largest drug case in the airport's history, after the shipment arrived in the possession of a Syrian traveler coming from Accra, Ghana. Prime Minister Nawaz Salam congratulated the two agencies, stressing tighter control over the crossings and preventing Lebanon from being used as a corridor for smuggling and organized crime, while investigations continue to identify those involved.
1 Nov 2026, 14:47 Anadolu Agency reported that Lebanese General Security foiled an attempt to smuggle about 40 kilograms of cocaine through Rafic Hariri International Airport, and that it detained a Syrian coming from Accra carrying 40 boxes, while Prime Minister Nawaz Salam congratulated General Security and Customs on the operation's success and their coordination.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Quantity of seized cocaine

46.7 kilograms (47 kilograms in the headline) according to annahar.com
about 40 kilograms according to Anadolu Ajansı

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Coverage ranged from a brief report focused on a comment attributed to the finance minister without details, to reports relaying the prime minister's statement on the crossings, to two reports that gave details of the operation, the quantity and the detained traveler. The broadest detail came from annahar.com and Anadolu, with a difference in the stated quantity.

Lebanon24 Limited itself to noting the seizure of narcotics at the airport and a comment attributed to the finance minister, without giving the quantity, the seizing agency or the circumstances.
LBCI Lebanon Led with Prime Minister Nawaz Salam's statement on the land, sea and air crossings and combating money laundering, without details on the shipment's quantity or the detained traveler.
aljadeed Presented the comment as a response to the seizure of the "largest drug shipment" at Beirut airport, stressing that the crossings would not be an uncontrolled corridor.
lebanon debate Published two consecutive reports focusing on the wording of Salam's statement, one of them specifying that the shipment was cocaine, without details on the quantity or the investigations.
annahar.com Carried the most detail: a quantity of 46.7 kilograms, describing the case as the largest in the airport's history, the traveler's nationality and origin of flight, Salam's congratulations to Customs and General Security, and the continuation of investigations.
Anadolu Ajansı Focused on General Security foiling an attempt to smuggle "about 40 kilograms" of cocaine, on the detention of a Syrian coming from Accra with 40 boxes, and on Salam's congratulations to General Security and Customs.