US arrests 'Afghan heroin baron'

[DoYouEverWonder]

25 April, 2005

An Afghan man regarded by the US as one of the world's most wanted heroin traffickers has been arrested, American officials have announced.

Federal prosecutors say the arrest of Bashir Noorzai on US territory will be a severe blow to the Afghan drug trade. A US federal indictment alleges Mr Noorzai has been at the centre of a multi-million dollar heroin operation.

He is expected to appear in a federal court charged with conspiring to import heroin worth $50m (£26m).

<snip>

The US attorney, David Kelly, said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had become aware that Mr Noorzai was planning to come to America and that it had "seized the opportunity and the individual".

<snip>

But they also believe that the arrest may have wider implications, claiming that Mr Noorzai had close links with the Taleban and had used drug money to supply Islamic militants with arms and explosives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4483469.stm


First, how did this guy get arrested on US territory? Was he arrested in Afghanistan, the US or somewhere else? How did he even get a passport if he was arrested here? Shouldn't this guy have been on a no fly list?

Second, he had close links to the Taleban? I thought the Taleban were anti-drug and had shut all the poppy growers down?

Something about this story doesn't add up.