Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji is heading to Syria and Lebanon next month – and expects to bring along cops assigned to the first couple’s taxpayer-funded NYPD detail, The Post has learned.
Duwaji will be jetting to the Middle East for a trip beginning Sept. 20 to the countries on the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list for Americans because of dangerous conditions, a source said.
The source familiar with the security detail said the first lady, who’s been described by the mayor as a “private person,” requested NYPD security – after traveling overseas last month without police protection.
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Mamdani’s office confirmed the trip and that an NYPD security detail will accompany the mayor’s wife.
“Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady’s security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon,” said mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec.
Confusingly, the NYPD later denied it, saying such a trip would never be approved.
“The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work,” an NYPD spokesperson insisted early Tuesday.
“This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be traveling there for it.”
The mayor’s office offered no further comment on the trip’s details or whether the purpose was solely to visit family.
The source with knowledge of the trip told The Post, “It’s not official business. It’s not doing anything for the city.”
