Drug suspect repatriated from Ghana after 22 yrs on the run

An elderly man, suspected of trafficking over 5,385 kilograms of cocaine, has been returned to South Korea after 22 years on the run, according to police. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on Monday that the man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was repatriated on October 20, in collaboration with the Busan Coast Guard, following his deportation from Ghana. Authorities in Ghana had been housing the suspect for approximately 22 years.

The suspect is accused of facilitating drug shipments on five different occasions between 2002 and 2004, while serving as a supervisor on a deep-sea fishing vessel in international waters off South America. He reportedly received payment for these shipments.

The narcotics are believed to have amounted to about 4.8 trillion won (US$3.6 billion) worth of cocaine. The suspect fled to Ghana after his accomplices were apprehended, living there as an undocumented immigrant since around 2004. His return to South Korea was facilitated after the Busan Coast Guard placed him on Interpol's wanted list, and the KNPA confirmed his location through information exchange with Ghanaian police.