The extradition of Nigerian drug smuggler Obioha Frank Chinedu has proven to be quite amusing, with tons of reports about the plight of poor Koreans serving time overseas after they were likely “used” by Mr. Chinedu as drug mules.
In particular, prosecutors believe Mr. Chinedu was involved in the cases of an additional 11 Koreans — 10 men and one woman — who have been arrested overseas between November 2003 and February of last year, and are expanding their investigations accordingly.
The 11 are in addition to the 10 Koreans women who have already been released from prisons in Japan, the UK, Brazil and elsewhere after doing 3—6 year stints in the pen after they were tricked by Mr. Chinedu.
According to Yonhap News, if investigators can prove that the 11 Koreans were tricked, it would be a big help in reducing their sentences.
The Nigerian allegedly used a similar approach with all the women (and the additional 11) — offering them money, airfare and lodging in return for taking what they believed to be bags of fabric samples.
Interestingly, Mr. Chinedu’s case represents the first time a foreigner has been extradited from China to a third country, and the first time Korea has exercised jurisdiction over a foreigner for crimes committed in a third country.
Marmot’s Note: Whether the mules were really tricked or “tricked” like all the Korean prostitutes that got busted in the US after 2002 were “tricked,” I have no idea.
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“offering them money, airfare and lodging in return for taking what they believed to be bags of fabric samples”
Right, because we all know that postage is so expensive nowadays.
“…and the first time Korea has exercised jurisdiction over a foreigner for crimes committed in a third country.”
Is it just me, or does the thought of a country with a capricious, ethnically biased and totally subjective legal system exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction frighten the bejesus out of the rest of you, too?
No, it’s not because that’s not what Korea is doing. Reread the article; Korea’s jurisdiction is based on crimes this mook committed in Korea. That’s not to say that Korea might not try to get custody of a foreigner who committed crimes somewhere else that affected Koreans, but it’s very difficult to imagine any other country compromising it’s own sovereignity by handing them over, even if it isn;t one of their own nationals. Anyway, all Korea is doing here is having this guy extradited under the terms of a bespoke treaty to face charges in Korea arising out of offenses he committed here. That’s happened plenty of times before, including e.g., the woman accused of murdering another foreigner who was defended by Brendon’s old firm. It’s not foreigners who have to be so concerned about Korea’s bizarre ideas of criminal jurisdiction so much as Koreans themselves, who ARE subject to criminal prosecution in Korea for crimes (as defined by Korean law) that they commit outside Korea, where the conduct in question might not be criminal.
As a point of order, Kenzi was extradited under a formal treaty, and not some one-off deal.
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