The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that Abdul Zahir Qadir, a former Afghan army general and former First Deputy Speaker of the Afghan House of Representatives, has been extradited to the United States to stand trial in federal court on charges of conspiracy to traffic heroin and methamphetamine, as well as procuring and trafficking military-grade heavy weapons.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Qadir allegedly led an international criminal network involved in drug and weapons trafficking. He added that investigations led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exposed the network’s activities.
According to international media reports, Abdul Zahir Qadir was arrested in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, last year. Following his extradition, he is now facing legal proceedings in the United States. He will remain in custody pending trial, and if convicted, he could face a sentence ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.