A South Korean man in his 80s accused of helping ship more than five tonnes of cocaine off the coast of South America has been deported from Ghana after 22 years living there without legal status.
The Korean National Police Agency said the unnamed man was returned to South Korea on 20 October, arriving in a wheelchair. He was arrested by Ghanaian police for illegal residence before being deported, following assistance from the South Korean Embassy in Accra, according to Korean media reports citing a police statement.
The case comes as South Korea and Ghana strengthen co-operation ahead of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027. South Korea’s ambassador, Park Kyongsig, said maritime security was among the areas agreed during President John Mahama’s visit to South Korea in March.
South Korean police allege that the man worked as a supervisor on an ocean-going fishing vessel between 2002 and 2004. During that period, he is accused of transporting narcotics for a trafficking organisation on five occasions in international waters off South America.
Investigators believe the shipments contained 5,385 kilogrammes of cocaine, with an estimated value of about 4.8 trillion won, equivalent to US$3.6 billion. Police say the suspect was paid for his involvement.
He fled to Ghana after accomplices who had been on board the vessel were prosecuted. The man is believed to have lived in Ghana as an undocumented migrant from about 2004.
The Busan Coast Guard had issued an Interpol red notice for him, while the South Korean police agency traced him using information provided by the Ghana Police Service.
Ghana’s involvement in the case comes amid renewed attention on the country’s role in international drug trafficking. The Presidency held an emergency meeting on border security and narcotics control at the Jubilee House in September.
That meeting took place days after the Minority accused the government of allowing Ghana to become a transit hub for international drug cartels. The Majority Leader, James Agalga, has cited an increase in NACOC arrests from 73 in 2024 to 217 in 2025 as evidence of stronger enforcement.
Ghanaian police have previously co-operated with international agencies on major investigations. In July, they and the Cyber Security Authority arrested a Nigerian wanted in an FBI and INTERPOL cyber-fraud investigation.
South Korean authorities have not disclosed where the man lived in Ghana, how he spent his 22 years there or when the arrest took place. Ghanaian authorities have not issued their own account of the case.
The South Korean police and coast guard said they would continue pursuing fugitives wanted for serious maritime crimes and deal with them firmly. The Busan Coast Guard is expected to question the man about how the cocaine shipments were organised, the amount he was paid and his relationship with the trafficking organisation.
