Ghana has deported an elderly South Korean national accused of transporting cocaine worth $3.6 billion, ending a 22-year period in which he allegedly evaded authorities while living in the West African country.
- An elderly South Korean man accused of trafficking $3.6 billion worth of cocaine was deported from Ghana after evading authorities for 22 years.
- The man is alleged to have transported over 5,000 kg of cocaine as a supervisor on a deep-sea fishing vessel between 2002 and 2004.
- He fled to Ghana around 2004 and lived there without legal status, while being placed on Interpol’s wanted list by South Korean authorities.
- His arrest and deportation were the outcome of international police cooperation, and after his return to South Korea he was handed over for further investigation, with judicial proceedings pending.
The suspect, a man in his 80s whose identity has not been disclosed, was repatriated to South Korea on October 20, 2026, following cooperation between Ghanaian police, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and the Busan Coast Guard.
South Korean authorities have withheld his name, consistent with privacy protections that often limit the disclosure of suspects’ personal information before conviction, although exceptions apply in certain serious criminal cases.
According to Yonhap News Agency, police announced the repatriation on October 26 after locating the suspect through intelligence sharing with Ghanaian authorities.
The case dates back to 2002–2004, when investigators allege that the man transported 5,385 kilogrammes of cocaine on five occasions in international waters off South America.
At the time, he reportedly worked as a supervisor aboard a deep-sea fishing vessel, transporting narcotics worth an estimated 4.8 trillion won ($3.6 billion) on behalf of a drug trafficking organisation in exchange for payment, according to South Korean authorities.
Ghana ends South Korean fugitive’s 22-year escape
The suspect reportedly fled to Ghana around 2004 after several accomplices were arrested over the cocaine trafficking operation, subsequently living in the West African country without legal residency status for more than two decades.
The Busan Coast Guard placed him on Interpol’s wanted list, while intelligence shared between South Korean and Ghanaian police helped investigators establish his whereabouts.
Following his identification, Ghanaian authorities arranged his deportation on October 20, 2026, after which the Busan Coast Guard took him into custody to investigate the alleged shipments, payments received and his connections to the trafficking organisation.
Ghana’s previous links to international drug trafficking cases
The latest repatriation follows earlier cases involving foreign nationals accused of drug trafficking who either sought refuge in Ghana or maintained suspected criminal operations linked to the country.
In March 2016, Ghanaian authorities arrested British fugitive David Philip McDermott, who had allegedly spent three years hiding in Accra under the name David Smith while wanted in the United Kingdom over a cocaine smuggling operation.
The case involved 400 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at £70 million, with Ghana’s High Court approving his extradition in April 2016. He was subsequently returned to Britain, where he received a 13-year prison sentence.
More recently, Ghana became involved in an international investigation linked to Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos, who is believed to be hiding in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
In September 2026, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission arrested suspected associates linked to his alleged criminal network following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, valued at €225 million, in France.
The drugs were discovered in a container shipped from Ghana, prompting cooperation between Ghanaian and European law enforcement agencies.
Although the three cases are unrelated, they illustrate Ghana’s involvement in international investigations concerning suspected drug traffickers and fugitives with connections to Europe, Asia and South America.
