South Korean drug suspect deported from Ghana after 22 years

A South Korean man in his 80s has been repatriated to South Korea following his deportation from Ghana, ending a 22-year period spent living as an undocumented migrant.

The suspect is accused of transporting approximately 5,385 kilograms of cocaine, valued at roughly $3.6 billion, on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2004. At the time of the alleged crimes, he was serving as a supervisor on an ocean-going fishing vessel operating in international waters off the coast of South America.

After his accomplices were prosecuted, the man fled to Ghana around 2004 to evade authorities. He was eventually located by the Korean National Police Agency through information shared by the Ghana Police Service, following an Interpol red notice issued by the Busan Coast Guard. The handover occurred as South Korea and Ghana continue to expand maritime security cooperation.