Pakistani Drug Lord Who Fooled Global Elite Jailed in US

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 recorded, provided crucial evidence linking Hafeez—referred to as “the Sultan”—to the drug trade.

The operation led to the arrest of key associates, including the Akasha brothers, leaders of a violent Kenyan cartel, and Vijaygiri “Vicky” Goswami, an Indian national who managed the Akashas’ operations. Evidence seized from their devices further implicated Hafeez as a major supplier.

In August 2017, Hafeez was arrested at his luxury apartment in London’s St John’s Wood. He spent six years in high-security Belmarsh Prison fighting extradition to the United States, arguing that he had acted as an informant for British and UAE authorities and that his health conditions made US imprisonment inhumane. These arguments were rejected by courts in the UK and the European Court of Human Rights.

The Court Case and Sentencing

Hafeez was extradited to the US in May 2023. In November, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to manufacture and distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish, and to import them into the United States. Prosecutors said the drugs involved were enough to produce millions of potentially lethal doses.

During sentencing, US authorities highlighted the scale and sophistication of Hafeez’s operation. They noted that, unlike many traffickers driven by poverty or lack of opportunity, Hafeez had lived a life of privilege and choice. He used his apparent cooperation with law enforcement as a strategic ploy to eliminate rivals and consolidate his own power in the drug trade.

“While pretending to help authorities intercept drugs, he was simultaneously flooding the world with narcotics,” US officials said. “He informed on his competitors while keeping his own trafficking network hidden.”

With credit for time served since his 2017 arrest, Hafeez’s sentence is set to expire in 2033.