Africa: Unusual Suspects - Elders in West Africa's Changing Drug Trade

An emerging trend in West African drug trafficking involves older adults assuming roles they did not previously occupy. In Nigeria alone, at least 32 individuals aged 60 to 101 have been apprehended since January, with the ratio of elders to younger offenders estimated at one to five. Beyond Nigeria, drug syndicates are increasingly employing elderly couriers across porous land borders and informal maritime routes throughout West Africa.

While several countries document individual cases, a comprehensive regional overview is lacking, rendering elderly drug couriers a poorly understood demographic. Their involvement in trafficking is particularly noteworthy because these suspects do not fit the typical profile of young, regular offenders. This trend contradicts the deep cultural respect traditionally afforded to elders in African societies, which is exactly what makes them appealing to drug networks.

This phenomenon is not new to Africa or the world at large. In Ghana, elderly women served as drug mules and distributors in 2002 and 2014. A 2008 British report highlighted a surge in females aged 65-70 and older participating in drug trafficking. Other reports document participation by elders from Ivory Coast and Guinea. In 2016, elderly drug couriers were identified across North America, Australia, Hong Kong, and Europe.

In the United States, targets were recruited through social media and telemarketing fraud, with cash payments offered for transporting gifts. Elderly traffickers were arrested in Chile, the United Kingdom, and India in 2025, with many unsuspecting victims of recruitment schemes.

Older adults are not only relegated to roles as couriers but also serve as distributors, retailers, intermediaries, producers, and even kingpins. Many now handle cocaine, methamphetamine, and synthetic cannabis. Both men and women are involved, with older women's participation particularly notable. Their role in drug trafficking challenges traditional gender norms and highlights how economic vulnerabilities can increase their susceptibility to criminal exploitation.

As West Africa becomes more central in global drug trafficking, including as a consumer market, restrictions in Latin America are forcing drug networks to adapt their tactics. In 2024, 25,891 drug-related arrests were made across 13 West African countries, with Liberian authorities seizing nearly four tonnes of cocaine. In Nigeria, two large-scale methamphetamine laboratories were discovered, and Senegal has emerged as a new transit hub for cocaine headed to Europe.

While many cases remain unaddressed due to inadequate enforcement, the involvement of elders in the drug trade raises questions about their motivations and the factors that drive their co-optation by criminal groups. Economic hardship, loss of social welfare, and family support systems, as well as loneliness and social isolation, all contribute to this trend. Urgent action is needed to address the vulnerabilities of older adults and prevent their exploitation by criminal networks.