Ghana deports South Korean man wanted over $3.6bn cocaine haul

Ghana has deported a South Korean man in his 80s who had reportedly evaded arrest for about 22 years over his alleged role in transporting more than five tonnes of cocaine on international waters off South America.

The suspect, whose name has not been made public, was repatriated to South Korea on October 20 following a joint effort involving Ghanaian authorities, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and the Busan Coast Guard.

South Korean authorities said the man had been living in Ghana without legal immigration status since about 2004, after allegedly fleeing the country following the arrest of other members of the suspected drug trafficking network.

He is accused of making five separate drug shipments between 2002 and 2004 while working as a supervisor on a deep-sea fishing vessel.

The KNPA said the consignments were believed to have contained a combined 5,385 kilogrammes of cocaine, with an estimated value of about 4.8 trillion South Korean won, equivalent to approximately $3.6 billion.

Investigators allege that the suspect worked for a drug trafficking organisation by transporting the narcotics and received financial payments for carrying out the shipments.

South Korean authorities reportedly traced him to Ghana through information exchanged between the two countries after the Busan Coast Guard had placed him on an Interpol wanted list.

The coordinated operation eventually led to his deportation from Ghana and return to South Korea, where he is expected to face the allegations in connection with the cocaine shipments.