In November 2025, the AfricaPress website reported the arrest of a 70-year-old man in Cameroon’s West region, who was found in possession of over 130 kilograms of cannabis. This case is part of a broader trend of older individuals being caught in drug trafficking activities across Africa. In August 2020, Seneweb, a Senegalese news website, reported the arrest of two elderly men—aged 65 and 70—for drug trafficking. These incidents highlight a growing pattern that has sparked interest and concern among researchers and law enforcement agencies. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa) has raised questions about the increasing involvement of older individuals in drug trafficking, referring to them as “unusual suspects.” According to the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), these arrests are not isolated. Femi Babafemi, a communications officer at NDLEA, told ISS Africa that 32 individuals aged between 60 and 101 have been arrested since January, suggesting a “systemic pattern” rather than a random occurrence. These older individuals, including women, do not fit the typical profile of drug traffickers, who are usually younger. In Nigeria, the involvement of older individuals in drug trafficking has drawn comparisons to the targeting of women “bandits,” a term used to describe female criminals in the region. In Guinea-Bissau, a recent political upheaval, described as a “coup d’état,” has raised suspicions of external manipulation. Meanwhile, in the United States, former President Donald Trump’s focus on drug trafficking has been criticized as misdirected. In Liberia, President George Weah’s successor, President Boakai, is facing challenges after a major drug seizure that has drawn attention to the country’s role in the region’s drug trade. These cases illustrate a complex and evolving landscape of drug trafficking across Africa, where traditional profiles of offenders are being challenged. As law enforcement agencies continue to investigate, the involvement of older individuals raises new questions about the motivations, networks, and roles of these “unusual suspects” in the drug trade.