Ayub Afridi (drug lord)

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Muhammad Kareem
Deputy for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
In office
6 August 1990 – 1993
PresidentGhulam Ishaq Khan
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Personal details
Bornc. 1930–1939
Drug smuggler, politician

Ayub Afridi (

Urdu: ایوب افریدی‎; c. 1930–1939 – 24, November 2009) was a Pakistani drug smuggler and tribal politician.[1] He is considered to be the primary founder of the widespread drug trade (particularly heroin) in Afghanistan.[2] There are a variety of speculations that Afridi, following his close collaboration with the CIA for Operation Cyclone against the Soviet Union, was approached by the United States as a part of an effort to gain easier access to Afghanistan and the semi-autonomous tribal areas of Pakistan after 9/11.[1]

Early life

Born in Khyber Agency during the British Raj, Ayub grew up in a Pashtun family, Landi Kotal, the principal city located around the Khyber Pass, and was an ethnic Pashtun belonging to the Afridi tribe of Zakha Khel.

The westernmost regions of British India that the

deposed Pakistan's civilian government in 1977 and declared martial law, establishing a military dictatorship.[3] Afridi's connections with Afghan tribes in Pakistan's northwest and throughout Afghanistan itself made him a key player in Zia-ul-Haq and the United States's indirect war against the Soviets in Afghanistan
. He has children and grandchildren who are living in Pakistan and leading their lives. This includes Fakhir Alam, Mehtab Alam , Salman Shah and others. Afridi died on 24 November 2009 after suffering a heart attack, and was in his 70s at the time of his death, though his exact age is not known. He is buried at the Ayub Afridi Kalay cemetery in his hometown of Landi Kotal.

Involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War (1979—1989)

Ayub Afridi was a key player in the

Khyber Agency
.

1995 arrest

In December 1995, the Americans were able to trick Afridi into leaving his sanctuary in Afghanistan and coming to Pakistan by promising him right of passage. As soon as he touched down in Pakistan, he was arrested in connection with importing hashish into Belgium.[4] He served three years of his sentence before being shipped to Pakistan on 25 August 1999 after serving a three and a half-year sentence in a US prison and paying a 50,000-dollar fine.[4] An agreement was reached where he would face another trial in Pakistan. In Pakistan he was given a seven-year sentence for the same charge, exporting hashish into Belgium.[4] He only served a few weeks of his sentence.[5]

Most of his property at various posh areas in Pakistan was confiscated by the

Khyber Agency
.

The biggest drug bust of the world happened on the Kohat road of Peshawar when his heroin and hashish was busted by anti-narcotics Pakistan.

After the

Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.[1]

2005 legal trouble

In 2005 Afridi was accused of international drug trafficking and ordered to appear before the Pakistani Supreme Court on 17 November 2005 in an appeal challenging an order of the special appellate court against the forfeiture of his assets. Afridi was sentenced by the Pakistani Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Court in a drug smuggling case and was declared absconder when he failed to appear before the court.[6] On 30 March 2006 the Supreme Court allowed the Anti Narcotics Force to confiscate a 100-room 'palace' petrol pumps and other properties worth Rs 167.8 million.[7]

References

  1. ^
    Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 13 December 2001. Retrieved 14 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  2. ^ Suroosh Alvi on VBS (12 February 2007). "The Gun Markets of Pakistan". VICE. Retrieved 15 July 2009. Suroosh Alvi:[Afridi] is the founder of the heroin trade.
    Naeem Afridi:Not the trade. Basically, the idea... Suroosh Alvi:The concept... of what ...
    Naeem Afridi:of heroin
  3. ^ a b Richard McGill Murphy (16 October 1997). "The rise and fall of a drug lord". Forbes. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  4. ^ a b c "Ayub Afridi". khyber.org. 2009. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Ron Synovitz (2009). "Afghanistan/Pakistan: U.S. Indicts 11 in Connection With Drug Ring". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  6. ^ Staff report (17 November 2005). "Drug baron Ayub Afridi appears in SC today". Daily Times. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  7. ^ Mohammad Kamran (30 March 2006). "Ayub Afridi's property seized". Daily Times. Retrieved 14 July 2009.

8. The Untold Story of Ajab Khan Afridi: A Heroic Fighter Against the British Empire

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