A United States federal court in New York has sentenced a British national of Pakistani origin and one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers to 16 years in prison for orchestrating a vast international narcotics empire that spanned more than two decades.
Muhammad Asif Hafeez, 66, also known by his underworld alias “Sultan,” was found guilty of conspiring to import massive quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish into the United States and other countries. The sentencing, delivered on Friday, marks the culmination of a years-long investigation and legal battle involving law enforcement agencies across several continents.
Who was the Sultan?
On the surface, Hafeez cultivated the image of a respectable businessman and philanthropist. He was a familiar face in London’s elite circles, serving as an ambassador for the prestigious Ham Polo Club and socializing with members of the British royal family. His business interests, under the umbrella of Sarwani International Corporation, included companies in Pakistan, the UAE, and the UK, ranging from textiles to restaurants and equestrian services.
However, US prosecutors revealed that this public persona was a façade. Behind the scenes, Hafeez was the mastermind of a sprawling drug trafficking network, coordinating the movement of heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish from production hubs in Pakistan and India to markets in the US, Europe, and beyond. Authorities described him as the “puppet-master” of a criminal organization that supplied drugs on a global scale.
The Sting Operation and Arrest
Hafeez’s downfall began with a complex international sting operation. In 2014, two of his close associates met with what they believed was a Colombian buyer in Mombasa, Kenya, to negotiate a heroin deal. Unbeknownst to them, the buyer was an undercover agent for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The meeting, which was secretly
