Ghana has deported a South Korean cocaine suspect in his 80s who had been on the run for about 22 years over his alleged role in transporting more than five tonnes of cocaine in international waters off South America.
He was repatriated to South Korea on October 20. His identity has not been disclosed.
The deportation followed coordination between Ghanaian authorities, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and the Busan Coast Guard.
South Korean police said the suspect had been living in Ghana as an undocumented immigrant since around 2004. They said he fled after his alleged accomplices were arrested.
He is accused of transporting narcotics on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2004 while serving as a supervisor aboard a deep-sea fishing vessel. According to the KNPA, the shipments are believed to have contained 5,385 kilogrammes of cocaine. This is estimated at about 4.8 trillion South Korean won, or approximately $3.6 billion.
Investigators allege that he transported the drugs for a drug trafficking organisation and received payments for the shipments.
His whereabouts were established through information sharing between South Korean and Ghanaian police. This followed the Busan Coast Guard placing him on Interpol’s wanted list.
He is expected to face the allegations against him in South Korea.
Source: prekehmedia.com – LINK